Mr. US President Donald Trump,
The United States is a superpower. For many decades, it has stood at the pinnacle of the free world. Its standing is founded not merely on its military and economic might, but first and foremost on the values and ideals upon which it was established: democracy, individual liberty, equality, and justice.
These values have made the US not simply a powerful nation, but a source of inspiration for humanity. They have fostered an extraordinary society, home to the world's leading universities and a driving force behind groundbreaking achievements in science, technology, medicine, culture, defense, and economics. The entire world looks to America, draws inspiration from its values, and seeks its friendship and leadership.
The US enjoys an exceptional geographical and security advantage, protected by two oceans and separated from many of its adversaries. Yet, when the values of the free world faced an existential threat, America chose not to retreat behind its borders.
In both World Wars, America ultimately chose to stand alongside those fighting fascism and Nazism, even if its intervention came later than that of other nations. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood that America's power was not merely a privilege, but also a historic responsibility. Their decisions and courage helped defeat the forces that threatened to destroy the free world and secured America's place in history.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US emerged as the world's dominant superpower. Yet America, too, made mistakes in its foreign policy, became entangled in prolonged and unnecessary wars, and paid a heavy price. These experiences gave rise to growing calls within American society to turn inward and place domestic interests above all else, under the banner of America First.
But America First does not have to mean America Alone.
Iran presents the free world with a challenge of a fundamentally different nature.
Iran, a country of approximately 90 million people, has been ruled since the Islamic Revolution by a Shi'ite theocratic regime that has made its religious-revolutionary ideology the foundation of its regional and international policies.
For decades, the regime has invested in building a network of terrorist organizations, militias, and military proxies, seeking to expand its influence, destabilize the region, and bring about the destruction of the State of Israel.
Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. It shares with the US the fundamental values of liberty, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. It is not merely an American strategic ally, but a steadfast partner in the struggle over the future of the free world.
Danger of Iran's nuclear program
The US has repeatedly declared that it will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. This is not merely a commitment to Israel. Nuclear weapons in the hands of the Iranian regime could endanger the entire Middle East, undermine international security, and threaten every nation that believes in freedom and democracy.
The confrontation with Iran is not simply a struggle for geopolitical influence. It is a struggle over values, the future of the region, and the security of the free world.
Mr. President, you now stand at a historic crossroads. Domestic political pressure, public criticism, and the electoral cost of military action are challenges every American president must face. Presidents Wilson and Roosevelt, too, confronted domestic opposition, public skepticism, and high political costs.
History, however, does not judge leaders solely by election results or their popularity at a given moment. It judges them by the decisions they make at defining moments, by the courage they demonstrate, and by the world they leave behind.
Even if the Iranian regime has suffered severe blows, it has not abandoned its ideological ambitions. As long as it views nuclear weapons as a guarantee of its survival, it may do everything in its power to acquire them.
We must not assume that military defeat or damage to its current capabilities will necessarily lead it to abandon these ambitions. That is precisely why the free world cannot afford to settle for temporary achievements.
A superpower is measured not only by its strength, but also by the responsibility it assumes.
Leadership of the free world does not require America to fight every war or intervene in every conflict. It does, however, require America to recognize threats of historic significance, draw clear red lines against dangerous regimes, and act decisively when the security and values of the free world are at stake.
Mr. President,
You have a historic opportunity before you. You can be remembered not merely as a president who defended America's interests, but as a leader who used America's extraordinary power to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons and threatening the future of humanity.
This is not a call for war for the sake of war. It is a call to ensure that the achievements of the current campaign are not temporary, and that the world is not left facing an even greater nuclear threat in the future.
The world needs political courage, long-term vision, and difficult decisions. It needs leadership that does not surrender to the pressures of short-term politics, but acts with an understanding of the historic responsibility it bears.
President Roosevelt did not know how history would ultimately remember him when he made his defining decisions. He knew only what had to be done at a time when the world needed his leadership.
Mr. President, you, too, have been given the opportunity to choose how history will remember you.
Will you be remembered as the leader who settled for a temporary military achievement, or as the leader who ensured that the Iranian regime could never fulfill its ambition of acquiring nuclear weapons and holding the world hostage?
This is America's moment. This is the moment for leadership.
Respectfully,
Vice-Admiral ret. Eliezer (Eli) Marom
The writer was commander of the Israel Navy from 2007-2011.
Follow us on GoogleSource: The Jerusalem Post · ELIEZER MAROM
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