ZOA President Morton Klein pushes back hard on the claim that Netanyahu somehow forced Trump into the war with Iran, calling the idea ridiculous. He argues that Iran is actively working on intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to reach the United States — not Israel — and that America has its own direct reason to confront the regime.
"That's not for Israel. That's for us. Even if Israel didn't exist, we have to be in this war."
Klein's point is about range. Israel sits within reach of the missiles Iran already fields; an intercontinental program only makes sense aimed at a target an ocean away. Add the regime's own "Death to America" rhetoric, repeated for decades, and Klein's side of the argument is that the threat lands on American soil whether or not Israel is in the picture at all.
One side of the debate says this is mainly an Israeli fight that Netanyahu pulled Trump into. Klein's side is that Iran's missile program, its "Death to America" rhetoric, and the threat of long-range weapons aimed at the U.S. make this an American national security issue regardless of Israel. On his account, the alliance is not the reason for the confrontation — the missiles are, and they are pointed at America.
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