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If Israel Strikes Iran over Its Nuclear Program, the U.S. Must Have Its Back
(The Hill) Michael Makovsky and Gen. (ret.) Chuck Wald - The Biden administration needs to work closely with Jerusalem to prepare for the growing likelihood that Israel will feel it has no choice but to initiate a military campaign against Iran's nuclear program. No Daylight, a new report from JINSA, explains that the U.S. guiding principle should be "no daylight with Israel," to ensure Israeli military success, mitigate Iranian retaliation, and limit the scope of the conflict. If Israel is compelled to act, due to a failure in U.S. policy and deterrence, the extent of U.S. backing will directly impact Iranian action. The more the Iranian regime perceives strong U.S. support for Israel, and believes it risks direct confrontation with America's unmatched military power, the likelier that it will limit its response. Because Israel is widely perceived as a close American ally, strong American support will reassure allies from Warsaw to Abu Dhabi and Taipei, while American equivocation will shred Washington's credibility and embolden adversaries from Tehran to Moscow and Beijing. Michael Makovsky, a former Pentagon official, is president and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA). Gen. (ret.) Chuck Wald, a former deputy commander of the U.S. European Command, is a fellow at JINSA.