Speaking ambiguously

Yonah Jeremy Bob’s take on the deadlock regarding how to deal with Iran overlooks the political elephant that stands looming in the doorway (“US, Israel look to find way out of Iran stalemate,” May 19). The most recent Democratic presidents – first Obama and now Biden – have preferred a nuanced approach when dealing with the threat of a nuclear Iran; talk tough but carry a small stick, you might say.

Moreover, it’s no secret that there’s little love between Biden and our prime minister, or that Democratic legislators are not overly inclined to bend over backwards when it comes to guaranteeing Israel’s security. Add to the mix that Biden is seeking another term and that his most viable opponent, Donald Trump, is fending off snarling alligators chomping away at his backside; the US, plainly speaking, has little to lose by speaking ambiguously.

I’m not doubting that the sentiments regarding the unbreakable US-Israel alliance are sincere, and the Defense Department is not oblivious to the sword hanging over Israel’s head. But they – and their commander-in-chief – cannot act or even plan without the involvement of Congress. Israel can ill afford to stand quietly on the sidelines and wait for this Gordian knot to get untangled.

We’ve reached a point, then, that Israel must neither ask for permission nor beg for forgiveness when it comes to neutralizing the Iranian threat. The safety and survival of over nine million men, women and children are at stake; the time for hemming and hawing is rapidly coming to an end.

If Biden wishes to adopt a more incremental policy and is no longer troubled by a backlash of the “Jewish vote,” so be it. If anything, the ball rightly belongs in the Israeli government’s court. And it will be played, I hope, before it’s too late.