Middle East expert to Arutz Sheva: If Trump won't strike, Israel must act alone
Middle East expert Yoni Ben Menachem, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told Arutz Sheva-Israel National News that the possibility of military action against the regime in Tehran remains open, despite President Trump's reservations in recent days. "It's not certain. Trump is a very impulsive person who contradicts himself, sometimes even deliberately. Israeli officials familiar with the negotiations with the Iranians say everything is at a standstill, particularly over the unresolved nuclear issue.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article never says that the US and Israel have already fought a war on Iran and that the question is whether to restart it. Other coverage of the same days reports Trump steering away from restarting that war while peace talks continue. Without this, a reader of "the military option is on the table" may take it as a first strike, not a resumption of a war Trump is resisting.
How we know
- New York Post reported“Trump has steered away from restarting the war in favor of letting America’s economic pressure campaign play out”Trump, Netanyahu get into 'shouting match from hell' over Iran war, Israeli media reports (opens in a new tab)
- The Jerusalem Post reported“The US military campaign had inflicted damage on Iran that would take decades to repair”Trump vows 'total victory' over Iran, claims Tehran will need 25 years to recover from US strikes (opens in a new tab)
As long as that issue remains unresolved, the military option is on the table. "Ultimately, following the defeat suffered by the Republican Party in the midterm elections, Trump will not be willing to accept Iranian humiliation or a diplomatic defeat, especially not in the form of an agreement that would be even worse than the one Obama signed in 2015. "He could decide to strike Iran, or he could back down and leave Israel to deal with the Iranian nuclear threat.
It is extremely important that even if Trump does not launch an attack, Israel acts on its own to destroy Iran's nuclear program or eliminate its leadership. We must not give up on this issue, or we will face an existential threat." Ben Menachem was also asked whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made the right decision in reaching an agreement with President Trump to gradually phase out American military aid to Israel, given the widespread criticism of the move.
"Netanyahu acted correctly and with careful consideration. He reached an agreement with the President before the midterm elections to gradually reduce the aid. Now that the Democrats control both the House of Representatives and the Senate, they can advance legislation and measures against Israel. "It was good that Israel got ahead of them on the issue of military aid. Otherwise, they would have celebrated it as an achievement, but Netanyahu and Trump effectively pulled the rug out from under them on this issue."
Read the original article on israelnationalnews.com (opens in a new tab)