Dear editor:
I have met Scott Clem, and I want to begin fairly. I do not believe Clem is an antisemite.
But I do believe his argument about Operation Epic Fury moves onto dangerous ground when it reduces American decision-making to Israeli manipulation and suggests the United States was dragged into military action for someone else’s benefit.
His claim that “Israel is driving the ship,” that America acted for “Israel’s interests, not our own,” and that voices aligned with Israel pushed President Trump into a conflict he otherwise would not have chosen is a claim I reject.
I also write this as a Sephardic Jew who stands unapologetically with Israel.
That matters because I know how criticism of Israeli policy can slide into something darker when people stop talking about strategy and start implying that Jews or the Jewish state somehow control American power.
I am not accusing Clem of hatred. I am saying that when someone argues America is merely acting at Israel’s command, he steps onto poisoned ground whether he intends to or not.
Israel is one of the United States’ strongest and most dependable allies, especially in the Middle East, and has been for decades.
One may debate Israeli decisions, but pretending Israel is anything other than a proven American ally is detached from reality. By contrast, some of our NATO and European partners have shown selective solidarity.
America has spent generations underwriting the defense of the free world, particularly Europe. Israel has stood with us in a dangerous region. Some European governments too often prefer the benefits of American strength without the political cost of standing beside America when events become difficult or unpopular.
Iran, meanwhile, did not become a problem yesterday. It has spent decades funding, training, and arming terrorist proxies. Hamas and Hezbollah are not abstractions. They are instruments of Iranian power. Iran’s ideological hostility, missile development, maritime threats, and proxy warfare directly endanger Americans, our forces, and our allies.
Nor did President Trump stumble into this. He has been consistent for years about the danger posed by Tehran, the failure of appeasement, and the need to restore deterrence.
The stated objectives of Operation Epic Fury are limited and clear: destroy Iran’s missiles, cripple its navy, and ensure it does not obtain a nuclear weapon. That is not Iraq-style nation-building. It is a defined military objective against a defined threat.
Yes, Congress should debate war powers. But I have little patience for selective constitutional outrage.
Presidents of both parties have stretched that authority for decades. When Obama acted unilaterally in Libya, many of today’s loudest critics were far less troubled.
So yes, I stand with Israel as an American and as a Sephardic Jew.
And I stand with President Trump’s decision because I believe it was not an Israel First decision, but an America First decision grounded in deterrence, national defense, and strategic clarity. Iran built this threat, armed it, and exported it.
President Trump answered it. That does not betray American interests. It defends them.
Sincerely,
H.E. Marcayda, Gillette
