US: Don’t Get Dragged into a Regional War, This Is What Netanyahu Wants; Americans Want to End this War, Not Expand It

Not a single American soldier’s life should be placed at risk on behalf of Israel — a state that has constantly ignored the U.S., the world and United Nation’s calls for a ceasefire in Gaza — should Israel decide to expand the war into a regional conflict to include Iran.

After the retaliatory strike by Iran on Israel, its President Isaac Herzog went on CNN painting Iran as the aggressor, criticized the scope of Iran’s drone strikes relative to Israel’s embassy attack, and appealed to the U.S. and allies suggesting that it is in their interest to engage with Iran because Israel is the only democratic and free state in the region.

First, it must be clear for all Americans to know that Iran launched drone strikes in response to Israel’s bombing of the Iranian embassy in Syria on April 1 that killed Iranian civilians and military personnel. International law states that attacking an embassy is equivalent to attacking the guest nation on its own soil. Under international law, Iran had the right to retaliate. Israel knows this. What people should be asking – was Israel’s intention meant to expand the theater of war and bring in the U.S. to directly engage with Iran? Politicos have been saying this is what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants – an expansion of war to survive politically, stay in power and avoid possible jailtime on his pending corruption charges.

Second, it’s shocking that Israel brings up the idea of “scope” in Iran’s counter to Israel’s April 1 embassy attack when you consider the utter devastation and destruction of life and infrastructure Israel has exacted onto Gaza relative to Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7. The lack of self-assessment regarding “scope” is stunningly narcissistic.

Third, Israel paints itself as a democratic and free state all the while it is operating an apartheid occupation system that robs Palestinians of freedom. It’s impossible to be both, which leads to the final counter argument that it is not in the best interest of the U.S. to go to war with Iran on behalf of Israel.

What would be the harmful costs to the U.S. if it engaged in direct war with Iran?
To begin, a majority of Americans already are opposed to further funding of Israel which receives close to $4 billion a year, and since Oct 7 received additional military aid, with billions more waiting approval from Congress.

In this week’s April 13 drones strike on Israel by Iran, U.S. military analysts estimate that Iran launched hundreds of $20,000 drones that cost under $10 million in total. But it cost the U.S. and Israel about a billion just that one night to shoot down these drones and missiles.

In a protracted war with Iran (which is far bigger and far more technologically advanced in weaponry than Iraq), it’s clear how this one night multiplied by months or even years would cost billions more in just defensive warfare alone. Add to that total cost, offensive weaponry and other possible war engagements, and the possibility of sending ground troops (as in Iraq) — it’s likely then, that a U.S. war with Iran could run into trillions.

This astronomical cost would come as the U.S. had already sent billions upon billions to Ukraine (which exhausted the U.S.’s own arms inventory). The U.S. is also ill-prepared with low numbers of ground troops. On top of all these additional costs, our nation is already struggling with massive debt just to sustain ongoing basic programs in the U.S. like Medicare and Social Security.

World War III
As if confronting Iran itself wouldn’t be formidable enough, geopolitical experts say not only regional countries could get involved (Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, maybe even Egypt), but others outside of the Middle East like Russia and China as well in what essentially would be World War III.

International military power rankings have Turkey, Iran and Egypt ahead of Israel in military power. Add Russia and China — which have significant oil interests in the area with Iran which would almost guarantee their entry into a conflict — then you have a scenario where it would be the U.S. and U.K. doing most of the fighting (obviously Israel alone would be crushed) against all these countries that are not interested in engaging in war but would be pulled into one.

What would be the geopolitical benefit to the U.S. of risking World War III over Israel. None. In the last 10 years, the Middle East for the most part have been moving towards increased stability, have integrated and been a part of the global capitalist system, and was on the way towards establishing normalization between Arab countries and Israel. But Israel’s genocidal tactics in Gaza (ethnic cleansing and plans for more settlements to include Gaza) and recent bombing of Iran’s embassy are upending all that regional stability.

Damage already done
Six months into the Israel-Hamas war, the U.S. has suffered irreparable damage to its reputation in the international community for supporting Israel. The immediate months following Oct 7, a majority of the world felt Israel had a right to defend itself. Months and tens of thousands of deaths later of Gazans, aid-workers, U.N. workers, journalists, doctors, women and children and the complete annihilation of infrastructure from hospitals, schools, even churches — the world now almost unanimously are against Israel’s incomprehensible drive to continue this war. Many, including World Central Kitchen’s Chef Jose Andres who had seven of his aid workers killed in an attack by the IDF recently, said this war is no longer about self-defense, but a war against humanity. He is right.

This war also has torn apart crucial segments of the Democratic Party and could cost President Joe Biden and other Democrats their reelection.

For now, Biden said that the U.S. will not participate in a direct offensive should Israel and Iran get into a full-blown war. That deserves some credit, but it’s hallmark Bidenesque foreign policy that he is supporting wars that should be wrapped up. For a leader who holds most of the cards, a lion’s share of the war money, it’s dumbfounding how Biden who claims to want peace is unable to get these countries to listen to him. That’s failing leadership.

And Netanyahu is clearly set on expanding Israel’s current borders (evidence: Gaza). He also knows that only through wars do countries’ borders expand. This is true historically (which is why in the first place Israel has been occupying Gaza and the West Bank since the 6-days war in 1967).  It’s obvious what Netanyahu’s agenda is. Let’s not spill American blood to aid in Israel’s colonialist-expansionist mission.