Israel and the US Strike Iran:
A Message from JCRC Executive Director David Cohen
Following the news that the United States and Israel have struck Iran, JCRC is following the events internationally and locally closely. Locally, we are working with our community partners to ensure that our security posture is heightened and that people attending schools, upcoming events, services, and programs are safe and undeterred. We are very aware of the multiple tensions at play here within the US Jewish community, the wider population, and of course in Israel and Iran.
We join all Americans in praying for the safety of our troops in the region and remain profoundly grateful for their service to defend U.S. personnel and national security interests.
We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Israel who have been at war on many fronts with Iran for decades. The most recent strikes are by no means the first volley in a conflict that has cost so many lives across the globe, over too many years. Already, retaliatory Iranian missile attacks against U.S. bases and allies are underway, underscoring the seriousness of this moment and the risks our service members and all in the region face.
Let us also be clear that the Iranian regime has spent decades threatening U.S. interests and allies, destabilizing the region, and brutalizing its own people. It has killed Americans and continues to foment conflict through its support of terrorist proxies and repeated attacks against Israel and other allies. To seek to end this reality is by no means an extreme position. Israel’s government has every right to take proactive measures to protect its citizens and prevent the Iranian regime from doing them harm. The United States is well within it’s rights to support the Israeli people in their aspirations to live free from the ongoing and ultimately intolerable enmity of the Iranian regime.
It is common knowledge that Iran has consistently threatened to destroy Israel. And so it should be clear that a nuclear-armed Iran is a direct threat to Israel and U.S. interests. Ending Iran’s nuclear threat, ballistic missile program, along with their ability to sponsor global terrorism would make the middle east, and the world, a safer place.
While it should not need to be said, the fact that the current administration is taking action at this time does not mean it is being controlled in any way by the Netanyahu government. The US President has made his independence from the Israeli government clear, and that US and Israeli interests align in this case should not trigger aspersions of conspiracy theories or tropes about Jewish control. That would be a double standard applied to Jews in America that is applied to no other cultural or religious group who seeks to advocate to the government on its own behalf. This must be stated loudly and unequivocally by all individuals and political leaders of conscience.
Without question, there are policies of this administration that the JCRC and many in the Jewish community abhor. And with these strikes, even more strain has been placed on our democratic system. It is incumbent upon President Trump to lay out the rationale and objectives of his military actions and why he was unable or unwilling to garner more coalition partners in his efforts - as has been a hallmark of US global military action in the past. He is also required to consult closely with Congress – where the constitutional power to declare war resides and is a core component of the War Powers Act. As such, he should make an explicit and detailed case to the American people. This must include the strategic objectives of U.S. military operations; a credible plan to prevent escalation and mitigate retaliation; and clear criteria for success and drawdown. He has stated his desire to use military force to coerce a deal out of Iran. If his desire is to create regime change, there must be a serious plan to ensure stability and avoid unleashing further chaos in the region.
JCRC stands with the Iranian people, many of whom have been risking their lives to demand dignity, opportunity, and a future free from fundamentalist repression. Their aspirations for freedom from a tyranical regime deserve the support of the international community. And like Israelis – they have been let down by the international community at every turn.
In the coming days we hope and pray for a return to diplomacy and a more reasoned approach to the problems of the region. Until then, we keep all those in harm’s way in our hearts and in our prayers.
