This week has been among the most consequential in the history of the U.S.-Israel relationship, with our seeing a diametric shift in Washington’s attitude towards Jerusalem and the world’s attitude towards the West’s leading powers. Let’s dive in.

The President, the Prime Minister and the Pastor

On Monday, Pastor Hagee met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Ambassador to Israel-designee Mike Huckabee and several additional pro-Israel Christian leaders.

Following the meeting, Pastor Hagee noted, “The Prime Minister is here - as his country begins to conclude its longest war - to effectively reset the U.S.- Israel relationship after the damage done by four years of, at best, lukewarm support for the Jewish state. Thankfully, President Trump understands that a strong Israel is in America’s national interest.”

“CUFI’s 10 million members stand with Israel and support those who acknowledge Israel’s sovereign, democratic right to make decisions of war and peace free of international interference. We are grateful to President Trump for warmly welcoming Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to speak with the Prime Minister during his visit,” Pastor Hagee added.

The next day, President Donald Trump welcomed Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, marking the first official foreign leader visit during President Trump’s second term.

The two heads of state covered a wide range of issues, including the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the hostages in Gaza, ending Iran’s malevolence in the region, and the future of Gaza once the hostages are home and Hamas is no longer a factor.

In order to emphasize America’s commitment to standing with Israel and undoing the damage done by the previous administration’s lukewarm (at best) support for Jerusalem, President Trump took a number of steps of significance to the pro-Israel community in recent days:

• Issuing a Presidential Memorandum reimposing the “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran.

• Signing an Executive Order removing the United States from the corrupt UN Human Rights Commission and reimposing a ban on American taxpayer dollars ending up in the hands of the terrorist-supporting UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA).

• Sending a $1 billion military aid request to Congress and ending the Biden administration’s suspension of certain weapons deliveries to Israel, including munitions and D9 bulldozers.

• Issuing an additional Executive Order reinforcing President Trump’s 2019 Order combating antisemitism.

• Opening up investigations into 5 universities – including Columbia and Berkeley – due to allegations of rampant and/or unchecked antisemitism at those institutions.

Tehran

Despite President Trump’s clear preference for bold, strong leadership, in recent days, the Koch-affiliated Kumbaya Caucus has reared its ugly head – though President Trump seems to have put them in their place for the time being. We’re referring to those falling victim to the seduction of a potential deal with Tehran that involves extending a hand, instead of extending sanctions.

There are those in Washington, both self-proclaimed liberals and conservatives (Spoiler Alert: to be anti-Israel is neither) who think a strong handshake and nice smile will appease Iran. It won’t.

Obama administration chief Iran propagandist Ben Rhondes’ approach to foreign policy was a pipe dream turned nightmare – it should not, again, be the policy of the United States government.

No longer can American policy makers be allowed to stick their heads in the sand while being trusted to manage American national security. They must accept reality, and that reality is stark.

As CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Parker wrote this week, “We are at war with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since its inception, the regime has orchestrated kidnappings, murders and terror attacks against Americans, both civilians and U.S. service members…”

Acknowledging reality does not mean one has to like it; but if you seek to change the present circumstance, one must first acknowledge that circumstance.

Parker went on to note that President “Trump can achieve peace through strength by making it unambiguously clear that any Israeli action would be defensive in nature—yet if Iran attacks or responds, America will stand firmly behind Israel with more than just words.”

And this is where the rubber meets the road. Actions, not words.

President Trump’s string of executive orders are tangible actions. The reintroduction of the CUFI-backed Antisemitism Awareness Act in the House this week by Rep’s Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) is a meaningful step. Releasing much needed arms to Israel will have a direct, immediate and positive impact on the war against Iran and its proxies.

The next steps will have to be thoughtful and nuanced. As we wait to see what the details of the Trump administration’s plans for a post-war Gaza look like, we recognize that while these are complex issues, everyone in Washington should understand that at the core of it all, Israel’s survival is a question of good vs evil and right vs wrong; everything else is commentary.

Sincerely,

The CUFI Action Fund