Now, however, the Biden administration must learn from what has taken place in recent weeks by fundamentally changing its perspective on engagement with Iran and the Palestinian leadership.
The Biden administration should immediately make clear to Tehran that support for terrorism is central to the discussions in Vienna. Iran cannot be allowed to blackmail the world into receiving sanctions relief, only to funnel more money to Hezbollah and Hamas. In addition, the White House should make clear to the Palestinian leadership that further U.S. aid will be tied directly to democratic reforms, including enabling dissent to flourish inside all Palestinian controlled-territories—Gaza included.
Finally, the U.S. should return to emphasizing efforts to help Arab nations normalize relations with Israel. This is not just good for Israel or the Arab world—it also solidifies a coalition of stability-oriented countries across the region that can serve as a further bulwark against Tehran’s tyrants.
Such an approach will no doubt be met with vitriol from anti-Israel elements around the world. Armchair revolutionaries, closeted (and open) anti-Semites and the foreign policy intelligentsia all believe weakening Israel is the answer to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Recent history has shown just how backwards that thinking truly is.
Peace through strength has worked for decades—and as the Bible says, there is “nothing new under the sun.”
