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Source: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-871136
The "Do It Yourself" Ally: Israel's Victory Is America's Too
(Jerusalem Post) Gil Troy - While addressing the Knesset, U.S. President Donald Trump correctly called the Gaza breakthrough "an incredible triumph for Israel and the world....We have stood together through thick and thin....We have built industries together, we have made discoveries together, we have confronted evil together." Other allies depend on America to fight for them; Israel fights independently, defending itself and bolstering the U.S., while saving the world along the way too. Last January, outgoing President Joe Biden noted: "Did you ever think we would be where we are with Iran at this moment? Iran's air defenses are in shambles. Their main proxy, Hizbullah, is badly wounded....And if you want more evidence that we've seriously weakened Iran and Russia, just take a look at Syria." Since then, Tehran has been weakened exponentially more. Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel's many battlefronts - on sea, in the air, on the ground, and online - have served as an extraordinary laboratory for game-changing improvements. U.S. generals have watched the IDF fight in cities and tunnels effectively, losing 470 soldiers in the Gaza ground offensive that many predicted would cost thousands of Israeli lives. In repelling Iran's ICBM attacks and over 37,500 rocket attacks, Israel - with U.S. help - taught the world how to defend a small, densely populated area against massive bombardments. These and many other military and medical breakthroughs will be saving American lives in hospitals and battlefields for years to come. Since the 1898 Spanish-American War, Washington has repeatedly felt compelled to fight wars worldwide. By contrast, Israel has always been the U.S.'s only "Do it Yourself" ally. The Jewish state usually fights alone, using American technology and know-how, improving it, and, by winning, bolstering Washington's position militarily and diplomatically. In 1967 and 1973, Israel defeated Soviet-trained and armed Arab troops, enhancing the Free World's defense posture during the Cold War. Despite all the pressuring, demonizing, and naysaying, Israel has won overwhelming victories in the war on terror. Thanks to this two-year war, the Islamic Republic's planned Ring of Fire engulfing Israel, while not extinguished, has been smothered. Israel showed it still knows how to fight hard and win a war. And, once again, Israel's decisive win has boosted America too. The writer, a Distinguished Scholar of North American History at McGill University, is a Senior Fellow in Zionist Thought at the Jewish People Policy Institute.