Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told Newsmax on Tuesday that Hamas and other Iranian proxies target not only Israel but also the U.S., highlighting their shared democratic values as a key reason for the hostility.
During an interview on "Prime News," Hoenlein underscored that point when he said, "We have to remember, this is not a war only against Israel. This is a war against America."
He explained that both nations, as prominent democracies in the region, symbolize the values of freedom and democracy that Iran and its proxies seek to destroy.
"Israel is the small devil, as they say. America is the great one," he added.
According to Hoenlein, Iran's animosity toward Israel stems from its close relationship with the U.S.
"They hate Israel because of America, not America because of Israel," Hoenlein said.
He emphasized that Iran is orchestrating the actions of several regional proxies to undermine these democratic values.
"This is a war against our values, against democracy, against freedom," he said, describing Israel as a "beacon of freedom and democracy in the region."
Notwithstanding the recent policy disconnect with wrangling over a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, Hoenlein called for a united front between the U.S. and Israel, stressing that the fight against groups like Hamas and Hezbollah requires cooperation between the two democracies.
"It is what we share in common and why there should be no daylight between the two countries and why we should be working together to eradicate Hamas, Hezbollah and, most of all, to go to the head of the snake, which is Iran, which organizes seven of the Ring of Fire countries, including the Houthis," he said.
He explained that the situation threatens not only Israel but also the broader Middle East. Hoenlein said that leaders of other regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan, have expressed fears that they could be the next targets of Iranian proxies if these groups are not decisively defeated.
"If we allow Hamas to emerge from this battle in any way, it will undermine all of our allies. Saudi Arabia, UAE, all of them say to me; the leaders say to us, Egypt, Jordan, all of them – 'decimate them. We can't say it publicly, but if you don't remove that threat, we're next in line,'" Hoenlein said.
"We allow Iran to continue now aiding Russia, working with China and North Korea in developing their nuclear program, increasing their income by 100-fold in the last 2 or 3 years. These are all steps that enable them to continue the mischief, the evil in the region, and everything; every one of us should be working together to make sure that this stops," he added.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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