The growing conflict in the Middle East is not an American problem and it does not require American intervention. This lesson should have been learned by now.
Diplomacy there has become increasingly unthinkable, despite the devastating consequences of a potential all-out war. Israel may be our ally, but it should not have a blank check or unconditional security guarantee.
The United States must prioritize its own domestic issues and avoid falling into another trap which may cost thousands of lives and trillions of dollars.
The Sparks of War
Israel’s war, which began last year in Gaza, has become a full blown confrontation with Iran and its “Axis of Resistance.” One of these being Israel’s slowly intensifying tensions with Hezbollah, a member of the Iranian Axis and the world’s best armed paramilitary.
In October of last year, Hezbollah began launching rockets in response to the Israeli invasion of Gaza, which forced the Israeli government to evacuate its northern border.
Late last month, the levy finally broke.
Israeli intelligence services detonated pagers used by Hezbollah, killing 42 and injuring thousands. This led to a severe increase in Hezbollah rocket attacks and respective Israeli airstrikes in retort. On September 28th, Israel killed Hassan Nasrallah –the longtime leader of Hezbollah– in a targeted strike followed by a bombing campaign which is reported to have claimed the lives of 2,000 people across Lebanon.
Days later, Israel invaded southern Lebanon. This elicited a response from Iran itself, which launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel on October 1st. Israel has vowed a severe response which will surely come within days.
Bad Moon Rising
The United States Navy helped to protect Israel from the Iranian attack, and there are even calls for the U.S. to intervene directly.
Since 2001, America has left Iraq a shattered hellscape, taken Afghanistan from the Taliban for two decades before giving it right back and bombed Libya into a failed state, thereby fueling the civil war in Syria.
These wars created a fertile environment for terror proliferation and united many insurgent factions under the influence of the Iranian regime. These were not just pointless wars, they actually worsened the very problems which started them. In short, they backfired. They made things worse for everyone involved, except the Taliban who now has a ~7 billion dollar military.
War with Iran would be equally as destructive and fruitless as previous attempts at peace. If one peers into the crystal ball of our future, they will see a repeat of the last two decades, all to protect “our ultimate ally.”
Israel does not border Iran, meaning that a would be fought in the air and by rocket barrages, as well as proxy fighting in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria. Not to mention the potential that both Iran and Israel possess nuclear weapons.
Fortunate Son
From the perspective of the U.S., Israel is a little brother who keeps getting us into fights we did not ask for. Tel Aviv is writing checks it cannot cash, all the while saying “my big brother can beat you up.” This happened in Iraq and Syria and now it is happening with Iran.
Israel secured another $8.7 billion military aid package just before invading Lebanon, bringing the total in aid since last October to about $22 billion. Our little brother in Tel Aviv should learn how to hold their own and fund their own wars, or maybe to stop antagonizing its enemies.
The U.S. has more pressing matters to attend to, as the most deadly hurricane since Katrina in 2005 ravages the South.
While the Congress and the Biden administration sent billions to Israel and over a hundred million for relief in Lebanon, FEMA is rumored to be depleted of funds while victims of hurricane Helene are left to rely on the crumbs left over. Moreover, another storm of the same caliber is expected to make landfall in the coming days.
There is something deeply wrong with this picture: the American government is supposed to be first and foremost, for the American people.
Crossroads
The U.S. faces two choices: stop this addition to failure and embarrassment, or keep funding foreign wars. Since 2022, America has sent $176 billion to Ukraine –who is losing a war they cannot win– and over $20 billion to Israel, whose war is just getting started.
All the while, the quality of life worsens in America, the middle class erodes and the government does little to nothing to combat it. In fact, it seems to only aggravate it.
The American people cannot withstand this war addiction. The government must adopt a policy of non-intervention and national revitalization. If not, the alternative is ugly and destructive.
Acknowledgement: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author.
