As an American, Israel’s Current Government is Not my Friend

During the Obama administration, after two years of negotiations, the United States struck a deal with Iran called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. With the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Iran agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons and allow continuous monitoring of its compliance, and by complying, Iran received relief from economic sanctions. Obama referred to it as the most consequential foreign debate our country has had since the invasion of Iraq.

Two years after the deal was finalized, President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear accord in 2018. He had campaigned on the US pulling out of the agreement, and once this was terminated, he imposed economic sanctions against Iran. Trump felt the JCPOA was not tough enough on Iran and wanted to create a new deal. At the time, Trump said the agreement should have allowed international weapon inspectors to have more access to Iranian sites. (Perhaps Trump hated the fact that the Obama administration did all the heavy lifting to achieve this deal?) Unfortunately, and for whatever reason, Trump never negotiated a new contract even though he said he wanted to. The leader of the free world claims he's a master negotiator, and if so, why would Trump not only reject the deal but then impose economic sanctions against Iran?

Prime Minister Netanyahu had said that Iran is very close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, something that they could use against Israel. If this sounds repetitive, it is. The government of Israel and its various intelligence agencies said in the past that Iran would have a nuclear bomb in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2011, 2014, or 2015. It appears that Israeli intelligence has been crying wolf for the last 25 years without actual proof that Iran is ready to attack them with a nuclear weapon.

Regarding the most recent peace deal in 2025, Netanyahu was not excited about the US and Iran signing an agreement to rein in Iran’s nuclear program. If a deal was made, then Netanyahu couldn’t just attack Iran, so what did he do? Netanyahu proceeded to bomb Iranian nuclear sites and, in the process, kill innocent people, which would disrupt negotiations between the US and Iran. It appears that Netanyahu didn’t want peace.

Furthermore, Israel didn’t have the military capability to destroy the deeply buried nuclear infrastructure. Some opponents of the Netanyahu government argue that instigating war serves to shield Netanyahu from criminal prosecution (According to the NY Times this month, Israeli prosecutors have indicted Mr. Netanyahu for bribery, fraud, and a breach of trust). At the time, it appeared the Trump administration was not going to bomb Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Many in the MAGA group remember Trump saying during his latest campaign that he wanted more isolationism and not to get involved in regional conflicts.

However, because Netanyahu wanted violence instead of a potential peace plan, he forced Trump to finish the job using bunker busters in an attempt to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program severely. Israel was so confident that the US would then join in once Israel made the attack that it makes one wonder if the tail is wagging the dog? Did Prime Minister Netanyahu manipulate Washington by disrupting the peace negotiations and then forcing Trump to finish the job? Instead of just focusing on Iran, perhaps sane individuals need to focus on the fact that Netanyahu appears to be dictating America’s foreign policy in the Middle East.

Let’s not forget that the US committed about $3.3 billion in foreign aid to Israel in 2022 (the most recent data that exists). Of that number, approximately $8.8 million went to Israel’s economy, and $3.29 billion went to the Israeli military (one part got millions and the other part got billions). In terms of percentages, .3% went into the Israeli economy while 99.7% of aid was fed into the Israeli military. Essentially, for 2022, all aid to Israel went to their military, and yet we had to clean up their mess because they didn’t have that capability. Does any sane and objective person think that there isn’t heavy lobbying done in Washington on behalf of Israel? Is it even possible for the US to have an independent foreign policy without heavy influence from certain foreign leaders?

Why should leaders in Iran trust Trump? In his first term, he reneged on the deal that Obama had made years earlier with Iran, saying the agreement didn’t go far enough against Iran. He then attempted to negotiate a contract with the Iranians in 2025, although some claim it was a half-hearted effort to secure a quick agreement that would benefit Trump. These negotiations were interrupted by Israel’s attack on Iran. Because of America’s close relationship with Israel, any military action by Israel is going to be perceived by Iran as agreed upon by the Americans.

To clarify, I’m not an Iranian apologist. I don’t condone nations threatening other countries with military action or a potential nuclear attack. And I certainly don't condone how the Iranian government treats its citizens. However, if one American administration works with you to complete a treaty (such as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and then the new administration claims the agreement didn’t go far enough, what conclusions can be drawn? How can a more open regime change be possible in Iran when moving forward, your government doesn’t know how a superpower will perceive or treat you over time? At some point, if each new American administration treats you vastly differently, how should they respond? You may turn to other bad actors in the world, think Russia, China, and North Korea. I certainly don’t condone aligning with these bad actors, but I certainly understand it.

During the first Trump administration, Trump was quite friendly with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In last month’s press conference, Trump said he’d welcome communications with the North Korean leader. During these two time periods, North Korea was able to create nuclear weapons. North Korea has not recently attempted to establish relations with the Trump administration. So, what did all these friendly comments by Trump during his first administration achieve geopolitically in Korea? So, the world allowed North Korea to obtain nuclear weapons, but it’s not ok if Iran makes the same case? Over the last decade or so, both countries have indeed threatened other countries. Why the disconnect? Could it have something to do with Israel’s current government and the intense lobbying done on behalf of Israel?

Now, Prime Minister Netanyahu is claiming victory in his country’s war against Iran. On July 7, Netanyahu arrived in Washington, where he praised Trump for being a strong and decisive leader in helping his country address the challenges posed by the governments in the Middle East. To ensure Trump was very pleased in the meeting, Netanyahu gave Trump a nomination letter for the Nobel Peace Prize; this man knows exactly how to schmooze Trump.

The actual impact of this 12-day military campaign remains undefined. Some experts in Atomic Energy claim that Iran could resume uranium enrichment in a few months. What will Israel do next time they perceive Iran building a weapon, lean on the United States to intervene even though that may not be in America’s strategic interest to do so? Ask for more aid, which would almost all be in the form of military aid? Even in the United States, the Trump administration claims Iran was significantly defeated and won’t have the capability to build a nuclear weapon for many years. SHOULD WE BELIEVE HIM? Will Americans hold Trump accountable if Iran becomes a nuclear threat once again, sometime next year? Will most Americans a year from now remember this latest brief military campaign? Do most Americans care if gas and eggs are no longer expensive?

As an American, Israel’s Current Government is Not my Friend.