ISRAEL AND IRAN

 

The war in Gaza actually is being waged by Iran.  And this war is not just against Israel.  It is against the United States, too.

Iran is a sworn enemy of both Israel and the United States. It sponsors terrorism.  It cheats and it lies. It is developing nuclear weapons.  And given historic hostility between Sunnis in Saudi Arabia and Shiites in Iran, the defective Iran Deal puts at risk more than the safety of America and Israel.

War was initiated by Hamas.  This was not just an attack on Israel.  Butchery and barbarism by Hamas in the name of “freedom fighting” was an attack on core values of western civilization.  Some argue that conduct by Israel is a similar exercise in butchery and barbarism.  And destruction and death on both sides has been substantial.  But war is hell.  The decision to wage it at all should not be made lightly.

No war is immune to criticism.  One can point to examples of American misconduct in Vietnam and Iraq.  For this reason, the conduct of war by both sides should be examined on a regular basis.  But neither side will act politely.  So-called “rules of war” remain as rules that allow for war.

Hamas is holding Israeli and American hostages.  It also holds the Palestinian population of Gaza hostage by using civilians as human shields.  And it uses terror and murder to keep that population in line.  When one side is hiding in hospitals, schools, and mosques and shooting at the other side, should that other side ignore the shooting and allow it to continue without interruption?  The Israeli dilemma is that there is no easy answer to that question.  What should be demanded is the immediate and unconditional surrender of Hamas and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.  That would result in a cease-fire.  Nothing less was required of a losing side during World War II.  Nothing less should be required now.

War puts to the test American support for Israel.  Israel is a fortress ally that bolsters defenses in the Middle East and provides offensive capabilities.  Helping defend it is a moral imperative but also a matter of American security and self-interest.  Iran threatens a vital “choke point” in the strait connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman through which world oil shipments pass.  Our country must anticipate the possibility of war with Iran with Israel at its side.  There will be serious and difficult decisions in the future about what forms support of Israel will take.  But these should not be questioned in the abstract.

The ultimate goal must be peace with an expanded Abraham Accord that includes the Saudis and others.  And once Hamas and Iran are removed as obstacles, there should be a new “Marshall Plan” to repair Gaza.  That plan should be funded by a coalition of many countries and not be funded exclusively by American taxpayers.

Iran is responsible.  It is a part of a new Axis of Evil that consists of Russia, China, North Korea, and all their proxies.  Doing nothing about Iran is not an option.  For too long, the Biden Administration has neglected to enforce financial sanctions against Iran that were approved by Congress.

Enemies of Israel must never believe for a moment that American support might falter.  But members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are not supportive of Israel.  Public demonstrations that celebrate Hamas butchery were organized by the Democratic Socialists of America (“DSA”).  This group that boasts six current and former members of the House of Representatives, including these Caucus members:  Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib, Bush, Omar, Bowman, and Casar.  Shontel Brown is a member of that Caucus although she has not joined the DSA -- but neither has she criticized her fellow Caucus members or this organization.

Brown initially condemn Hamas for its butchery.  But too often thereafter, when domestic enemies of Israel were vocal, Shontel Brown went silent.  She is not as much of a public supporter of her Jewish constituents that they may think she is.  And that may be due to her unwillingness to take issue in public with fellow members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Nor does Shontel Brown speak out in public about the disastrous effects of war on Palestinian residents of Gaza.  The Arab-American community in District 11 is well aware of substantial financial support she receives from The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (known as “AIPAC”).  They think of her as AIPAC’s puppet.  So in trying to make everyone happy with her silence, she only has succeeded in making everyone unhappy.  This is not leadership.

In particular, her silence about antisemitism is disturbing.

For instance, fellow Caucus member Rashida Tlaib called Israel an “apartheid regime” and supported a “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions” movement which aims to end “military occupation” by exerting economic pressure on Israel.  Shontel Brown went silent.  She has not publicly criticized her fellow Caucus member Tlaib for her history of antisemitism. This should be a cause for concern.

When the House voted to censure Tlaib for antisemitic remarks, even 22 House Democrat members voted in favor of the censure resolution.  But Shontel Brown voted “no.”

When fellow progressive Representative Pramila Jayapal made her own antisemitic remarks, Shontel Brown yet again went silent. Congress responded by passing a weak resolution only expressing the sense of Congress in supporting the State of Israel. This resolution did not name Jayapal.  It passed 412-9.  But 40 House Democrats found this resolution inadequate. They issued a joint letter to condemn Jayapal by name.  Shontel Brown did not add her name to that letter. When it came time to stand up in public, Brown went into hiding.

When $6 billion in sanction relief was given to Iran as ransom in a prisoner exchange, Shontel Brown once more went silent.  Such a deal will be used to fund terrorism.  Even the mere promise of this money allows Iran to reallocate part of its budget to terrorism that otherwise would be allocated to aid its own suffering people.  Not only has this ransom money rewarded kidnapping and hostage taking.  Not only will it provide an incentive and lead to more kidnapping and hostage taking.  It will enable bad actors to take very bad actions against innocent civilians.

When the Biden Administration relaxed financial sanctions against Iran.  Once again, Shontel Brown was silent.  These sanctions were designed to block Iranian access to financial systems.  They would have prevented Iran from funding Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.  The $6 billion in sanction relief is dwarfed by the much larger amount of oil revenue Iran has realized because of the waiver of sanctions by the Biden Administration.

And when the Biden Administration revived an Iran Deal that is an existential threat to the entire Middle East and to the world, Shontel Brown still again went silent.  This deal would give Iran a license to develop atomic weapons. It eventually may force Israel to take military action against Iran to guarantee its survival.  And it may force the Saudis to build their own nuclear bombs, which would destabilize the entire Middle East.  It risks World War III.

And finally when the House of Representatives voted 311 to 14 to declare that “anti-Zionism is antisemitism,” Shontel Brown lacked the courage even to take a position.  She did not vote either yes or no.  She voted “present.”

Discrimination is not exclusively a problem in the Jewish community.  Brown’s Arab-American constituents have expressed similar concerns.  And Shontel Brown does not address those either.  As the District 11 representative in Congress, she has an obligation to speak out forcefully and pubically for both her Arab and her Jewish constituents, especially on the subject of discrimination.

Finally, as the Abraham Accords inherently recognized, there is much potential in the Middle East for great progress.  Economic relations between the Jewish state and Arab states can be mutually beneficial.  Advances in drug development, desalinization projects, and computer technology in Israel prove how important it can be to the region.  And an Arab culture that once invented algebra, made major efforts to develop medicines, and saved Western civilization during the Middle Ages by preserving Greek philosophy and literature could once again make a major contribution to the region and to the world.  Such progress must be encouraged.

Unfortunately, Shontel Brown has neither the experience, nor the training, nor the courage, nor the talent to work with others to achieve that progress.