Israel’s National Security, the Arab Position, and Its Complicated Relations with the United States

During the Syrian civil war in late 2013, Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons, which almost brought the United States into the war. However, this was prevented by an agreement that disarmed Assad from most of his chemical weapons. This showed the importance of diplomacy, backed by the possible use of force. Currently, Israel is trying to disrupt Iran’s efforts to build a base in Syria, but with limited results. Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah, might confront Israel in response. Estimating if and how Hezbollah might take this huge risk needs to be a serious consideration for Israel when deciding to attack Iran or not. Israel’s focus must be on Iran’s nuclear program, its most urgent problem The author argues that the Unites States, the Gulf Arab states, and Israel should build a coalition against Iran and control Iran’s nuclear program.