Malevolent actors

Regarding “US doesn’t seek war with Iran, looking to curb Israel’s response” (April 15): Iran telegraphed to the world that it was going to retaliate for the suspected Israeli attack in Damascus, in which two Iranian brigadier generals were killed, by attacking the Jewish state. Last Friday, President Biden warned the Iranians that if they carried out their threats, there would be a heavy price to pay. He declared: “Don’t!” They did. On Saturday night, Iran launched some 330 projectiles at Israel with a 99% fail rate.

Right afterward, Biden called Netanyahu with two messages. One was that the US will not be a participant in the response, and the second, that Netanyahu should call the successful defense of his nation a win and call off any retaliatory strikes; so much for “Don’t.”

Appeasement to the malevolent actors in the world is a sign of weakness and is more likely to lead to conflict. When you lose credibility and deterrence, the chances of war is increased manyfold. Taiwan and Ukraine have much more to fear this day when the emperor became disrobed for all to see.

Israel’s various missile defense systems truly are a technological marvel, with capabilities undreamed of even a few years ago. However, in addition to the hefty price tag for the R&D and its deployment, there is a huge understated moral cost.

In the eyes of the world, since Israel is now expected to intercept missiles fired at it, aggressive acts against the Jewish state are permitted and do not count. The UN has whined that Israel has not given such a system to the Palestinians. The Biden administration has been explicitly clear that Israel is expected to absorb Iran’s blows and never project its own power beyond its borders. In other words, missile defense has turned Israel into a punching bag.