A week ago Saturday, the world entered a new era. With the elimination of the Iranian leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, the long-simmering “shadow war” erupted into a direct, joint military campaign between the United States and Israel. While many grew up with the perception that America always stood by Israel in battle, history reveals a far more complex truth: for eight decades, the United States was not our partner in combat, but our principal restraining force.

Today, through the unparalleled vision and resolve of President Trump, that history has been rewritten.

A Century of “Handcuffed” Victories

To appreciate the magnitude of this moment, we must acknowledge the constraints that once defined the U.S.-Israel relationship. Historically, Washington repeatedly curbed Israel’s ability to bring its wars to a decisive conclusion:

1948 (War of Independence): The U.S. did not supply weapons during this existential conflict. In fact, Washington joined the Soviet Union in pressuring Israel to halt its advance toward El-Arish and its control over Judea and Samaria.

1956 (Sinai Campaign): The U.S. and the Soviet Union together forced a total Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai.

1967 (Six-Day War): No American weapons were supplied during the fighting; shipments only began in earnest after the sweeping victory was already won.

1973 (Yom Kippur War): American intervention restrained Israel’s advance and effectively saved the Egyptian Third Army from destruction.

1982 (Lebanon War) and Beyond: From the invasion of Lebanon to operations in Gaza—where tensions recently escalated to threats of arms embargoes—Washington’s primary export to Israel was restraint.

For generations, Israel’s most formidable leaders—Ben-Gurion, Eshkol, Golda Meir, and Menachem Begin—faced the reality of American presidents who sought to limit the scope of Israeli victory.

The Visionary Leadership of President Trump

President Trump’s decision to stand militarily alongside the Prime Minister of Israel marks a dramatic shift in this longstanding policy. We have moved past the era of President Obama’s doctrine of “leading from behind” and President Biden’s hesitant “DON’T”.

This is a Roosevelt-Churchill moment. Just as President Roosevelt mobilized a superpower to confront the tyranny of Nazism and Hitler, President Trump has resolved to confront the radical Islamist ideology of Khomeinism and the threat once posed by Khamenei. His resolve to commit U.S. military forces directly to this struggle symbolizes Israel’s unique and elevated standing as a peer ally of the world’s leading superpower—a feat no previous leader was able to achieve.

Toward a New Middle East

The current joint war effort is the catalyst for a much larger strategic vision. The strength of the Trump-Netanyahu alignment paves the way for a broader regional realignment that once seemed impossible.

From this victory, we see the emergence of a “New Middle East” where ties with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan are strengthened, and where we may eventually see a transformed Iran and a pragmatic Qatar.

President Trump’s unprecedented leadership has replaced a history of restraint with a future of victory. For this, he deserves the profound recognition and appreciation of both our nations.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)