Summary

The missiles are still flying, the sirens are still shrieking, and the outcome of this war has yet to be decided, but it is safe to say that US President Donald Trump has written himself into the history books and earned a lasting reputation as one of the best friends the Jewish people have ever had. Even before the Iran war, we had numerous occasions to thank him: for declaring both Jerusalem and the Golan Heights as sovereign parts of Israel; for moving the US Embassy to our capital; for exiting the disastrous Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran; and for demanding that the Palestinians cease their “pay for slay” payments to terrorists. But the overwhelming use of American power to strip the Islamic Republic of its military capabilities and bring its terrorist government to its knees has exceeded even our most optimistic expectations. For the first time in our modern history, a president is not holding back the IDF and IAF from accomplishing all its goals. In the 1956 campaign, we were forced to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula. In 1973’s Yom Kippur War, the US intervened to stop Israel from completely destroying the Egyptian Third Army. By contrast, Trump has given Israel the green light to disarm and disable its most despicable enemy. Not only is Trump giving us a free hand – as King Ahasuerus did in a previous Persian battle – but he is putting all the mighty weight of American forces into the conflict, enhancing and enlarging the operation beyond what we could have done on our own. All this is in the shadow of a less-than-enthusiastic American public, a majority of which opposes Trump’s decision. The razor-thin vote of Congress on the war – 52 to 48 in favor, with the heroic support of lone Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania – and the constant protests of progressive pacifists (who seem to have recovered from their deaf and dumb state when innocent Iranians were being massacred) have not swayed Trump from his path. It wasn’t long ago that Europe’s weak-kneed leaders were walking in lockstep like lemmings to the UN to support a Palestinian state. Instead of following the deluded crowd, Trump – ever the contrarian – stood firm against that proposal, demanding that the Palestinians start acting responsibly, within the norms of civil behavior, if they truly want statehood. The president’s penchant for going against the grain reminds me of the halacha regarding the prohibition of consuming an animal that is in imminent danger of dying. The Talmud asks how you can tell if a fish is ill, and rules: “If the fish is swimming upstream, against the tide, then you know it’s healthy – and so it’s kosher.” Now, I understand that Trump is not the politest or most genteel of world leaders; he “shoots from the lip” and can wax outrageous. But actions speak a whole lot louder than words. In the ’70s, in the “bad old days” when cigarettes were advertised on TV, Winston cigarettes used the slogan “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.” It intentionally ignored the traditional rule requiring “as” instead of “like,” and told critics: “What do you want – good taste or good grammar?” So what do we want – good taste or good results? Yet I, too, am pondering the same question that everyone is asking: “Why, pray tell, is Donald doing this?” So I hereby suggest a number of possibilities. The official line It’s payback time. Over the years since the Islamic regime took power, hundreds of American citizens (our eldest son among them) have been killed by Iran or its proxies. This includes the 1983 suicide bomb attacks in Beirut, which killed 241 US Marines; the Beirut Embassy bombing the same year; the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing; and the 46 Americans murdered by Hamas on Oct. 7. American presidents have long said that no killers of Americans will be safe – a promise fulfilled when Osama bin Laden was tracked down – and Trump is continuing that pledge. The moral argument. Iran has long terrorized its own citizens, forcing them to abide by draconian Sharia law; requiring women to wear a hijab against their will; and denying basic rights like freedom of travel, freedom of information, and freedom of speech. The massacre of as many as 30,000 protesters was the catalyst for American intervention, with the aim of opening up the sadistic, suffocating Islamic society and giving the populace back its freedoms. The no-nuclear promise. Trump has long insisted that a renegade nation like Iran must never be allowed to develop an atomic weapon. Not only would Iran be willing to use the weapon against its enemies – specifically Israel – but it would also be able to blackmail countless other nations into doing its bidding. Efforts to monitor its uranium enrichment were stymied by Iranian disguise and deception. So when the Iranians approached “breakout” status – combined with their advanced ballistic missile program, sufficient to deliver the weapon to the entire Middle East – Trump decided it was “now or never” time. The Jewish angle Let’s be honest: Trump has a special place in his heart for Jews and for Israel. He has spent more time meeting with Israeli leaders than any other US president in history. He took an intense interest in our hostage crisis, and he met with every one of the hostages’ families as he worked tirelessly to secure their loved ones’ rescue. Maybe this is because his daughter Ivanka is a religious Jew (her rabbi told me she was the most learned convert he had ever taught). Maybe it’s because his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is among his most trusted confidants and advisers (it’s said that it was Kushner who orchestrated Trump’s first election victory). Or perhaps it’s because Trump has Jewish grandchildren (something a lot of liberal American Jews can’t boast of!) that he wants to have a safe and secure future. The God factor The Torah posits that God is intricately involved in all that happens in the world, partnering with humanity in order to move history forward to its ultimate conclusion. Yes, we are given freedom of choice, the mission to repair the world’s faults, and the power to make it happen, but God is never out of the equation. As a rabbi, I maintain it is neither hype nor hysteria to believe that Trump – quite the unlikely and unpredictable candidate that he was from the start – is where he is because that is exactly where God wants him. Certainly, by eradicating the Iranian menace and casting his lot with the Jewish people, Trump is doing God’s work. On a final note, I would like to say I am amazed by the resolve and resilience of our nation. Our armed forces are the envy of every country – what we have done in our ongoing struggle against terrorism is truly beyond belief – and our every average citizen is facing this latest challenge with courage and confidence (and hilarious memes!). We have even begun to regain trust in our government, something we thought we’d lost forever. Bottom line: Israel is truly amazing, and we, too, shall triumph! Oh, one more thought. A word to the Egyptians: You saw what happened to modern-day Persia on Purim; don’t mess with us on Passover! The writer is director of the Jewish Outreach Center of Ra’anana. [email protected]