In recent weeks, we’ve seen the results of two diametrically opposite approaches to foreign policy play out. On the one hand, we’ve watched as history was made when the Abraham Accords were signed in Washington. On the other, we’ve seen Lebanon descend even further into chaos with Hezbollah and Iran on the ascendancy.
Peace Through Strength
In September of 1967, the Arab League met in Khartoum, Sudan, and declared there would be no peace, no recognition and no negotiations with Israel. Thus, one could be forgiven for thinking it was unlikely we’d see Arab nations normalize relations with Israel prior to a resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict – if at all. Yet the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have done just that. And there is more than a decent chance that we’ll see others follow suit.
In fact, Sudan, the very country that hosted that infamous meeting of the Arab League, appears to be up to bat in normalizing relations with the Jewish state (with Oman on deck).
All of this is possible because of strong American leadership, and the strength of Israel’s society, economy and military.
Weakness Invites Aggression
Last week, the Prime Minister-designate of Lebanon stepped down. Apparently he was under the mistaken impression that as Prime Minister he should do things like form a functioning government. In his view this included putting together a non-partisan
cabinet which did not include Hezbollah running Lebanon’s finance ministry. Hezbollah did not like the Prime Minister’s attempt to stop the terrorist group from holding the country’s purse strings, so, a month after taking the job, he’s out of a job.
This turn of events was predictable. Well, predictable to everyone except French President Emmanuel Macron who responded with this, “There's a question that needs to be asked to Hezbollah and ourselves. Is it really a political party or does it proceed just in a logic dictated by Iran, and its terrorist forces?”
Really? Does this question need to be asked? Never mind, we’ll just answer it: Hezbollah is the terrorist organization that in 1983 bombed barracks in Beirut housing American and French servicemen. 241 American and 58 French lives were taken that day. Hezbollah remains a terrorist-army that operates as a direct extension of Iran’s vicious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). They are a designated foreign terrorist organization by the US, UK, Germany, and the Arab League. All Hezbollah cares about is maintaining power in Lebanon, exporting Iran’s Islamic Revolution and destroying Israel.
For more information, we recommend Mr. Macron check out CUFI’s primers on Hezbollah. For ease of use they come in both print and video formats. Alternatively, he could just Google “Hezbollah Wiki.” His call.
There are No Coincidences
Around the same time the President of France was asking whether or not one of the most brutal terrorist organizations in the world wanted to keep being a terrorist organization, Hossein Dehghan announced his candidacy for President of Iran (elections being held next year). Dhehghan was the head of the IRGC in Lebanon and Syria during the aforementioned Beirut barracks bombing – and therefore had a direct hand in the attack.
Dehghan is currently military aide for the Defense Industries and Armed Forces Logistics to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and is designated as a terrorist by the US government. Should he become Iran’s next President, his resume should answer any questions any Western capitals have as to whether or not Iran seeks to rejoin the community of nations.
This may come as a shock to some, but we at the CUFI Action Fund feel the international community should stop trying to make nice with murderers and terrorists. Iran is the
world’s leading sponsor of terror. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. It’s that simple. No amount of meaningless proclamations or pronunciations will change their behavior.
Strength and weakness are what they understand. And as President Reagan noted, “We maintain the peace through our strength; weakness only invites aggression.”
From the thaw in Arab-Israeli relations to the ever-increasing threat from Iran and Hezbollah, Regan’s words are proven as true today as when they were first uttered.
Sincerely,
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