U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, met the last week of December in a congenial setting, at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla., to deal with critical matters affecting the world.
Besides their knowledge, experience, skills and wisdom, they also brought to the table something that is unfortunately all too rare on the world stage: the confluence of shared values, interests and policies—or what I call VIPs (pun intended).
While many profess to have shared values, it is not always the case. The relationship between Washington and Jerusalem is grounded in shared democratic traditions that recognize God-given inalienable rights, such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; freedom of religion and speech; rule of law and equal protection under the law. There are few societies that honor these traditions in practice, and none other than Israel in the Middle East. The United States and Israel are diverse societies, where Christians, Muslims, Jews, believers in other religions and non-believers alike live and prosper in peace and harmony.
Both nations have so many mutual interests—ranging from defense, security, intelligence, high-tech innovations and medical advances, to the pursuit of good and welfare in the world. Each is dedicated to providing actual help to those in need.
However, in the world of foreign affairs, while lip service is often paid to shared values and interests, perceptions of their importance may vary and other factors may intervene, which may yield incoherent results. For example, many years before Trump and his determination to achieve energy independence, there was a dominant view in the U.S. State Department that sacrificed shared values and discounted common interests because of a misplaced reliance on foreign oil sources and other biased or agenda-driven concerns.
In essence, dictatorial and repressive regimes were favored at the expense of democratic allies and friends, like Israel. This predisposition negatively affected the U.S. relationship with Israel for many years. Thankfully, ever since Trump and his foreign-policy team, including the extremely able and clear-thinking U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, took over, there has been a sea change in the foreign-policy establishment’s posture that is enabling the president’s peace through strength program to be achieved.
Shared values and interests also don’t always generate coherent policies. There may be wide variations not grounded in sober analysis, but premised on domestic or other considerations. How else to explain the almost cult-like fascination of some Western leaders with recognizing a non-existent “Palestinian state” for what amounts to domestic consumption? The fact that the Palestinian Authority and Hamas don’t share Western values and interests—and, indeed, in practice, actually act to undermine them—is callously ignored.
In years to come, we will hopefully look back at this time and celebrate the beginning of what will hopefully be a free Iran, unfettered by the oppressive and terrorist regime that threatens the entire world. Decisions were made that will hopefully serve to reinforce the uprising that is presently occurring by the good people of Iran to unshackle themselves. The 12-day war this past June—a joint Israel and U.S. effort that included bombing Iranian nuclear sites—appears to have been just a prelude to this new phase.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Iran is in a full-scale war with America, Israel and Europe. It’s long past time to eliminate the Iranian regime’s ballistic-missile and nuclear programs.
At Mar-a-Lago, it was reportedly agreed by Trump and Netanyahu that any attempt by the Iranian regime to rebuild a nuclear program or restore its ballistic-missile capability had to be prevented, including by use of force. They also agreed that Hamas must fully disarm, as provided in the 20-point peace plan, or there would be severe consequences to the terror group still in the Gaza Strip. It is noteworthy that Trump acknowledged, in no uncertain terms, that Israel thus far has “lived up to the plan 100%.” As to the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, the two leaders agreed that it had to be contained as well.
The united resolve by two extremely capable powers, coupled with the willingness to act backed by military capability and prowess, is being amply demonstrated. The readiness and resolve to act is there, and God willing, these problems will be solved one way or the other.
