According to Al Jazeera, Senator Lindsey Graham has criticized the President’s suggestion that Israel should respond proportionally to Iran’s missile attacks, arguing that such advice undermines Israel’s right to defend itself against the existential threats posed by Iran.
Speaking to the Jerusalem Post on Thursday, Graham described the notion of dictating Israel’s military targets as a misguided perspective reminiscent of the 1930s. “The mentality that existed in the 1930s,” he said, “ignores reality.”
This statement from the Republican senator comes in the wake of President Biden’s discussions with G7 leaders, including representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, regarding the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. During these talks, Biden emphasized that while Israel has the right to respond to Iran’s “unacceptable attack,” any response should be measured. He also reiterated his opposition to an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Graham, however, expressed concern over what he perceives as a dangerous mischaracterization of Iran by the G7 nations. He contended that viewing Iran as a “normal nation” is fundamentally flawed. “When it comes to Iran,” Graham stated, “the regime is a theocracy dedicated to destroying the Jewish state, driving the West out of the Middle East, and stopping reconciliation between the Arab world and Israel.” He further asserted that Iran’s nuclear ambitions are not aimed at peaceful energy generation but rather at developing nuclear weapons to fulfill its ideological goals.
The senator warned that if Iran were to acquire a nuclear weapon, it would likely be used against Israel. He cautioned against underestimating the threat posed by Iran, drawing historical parallels to the miscalculations made regarding Nazi Germany. “For the sake of our friends in Israel,” Graham urged, “we cannot allow the world to miscalculate Iran, just as it did with Hitler and the Nazis.”
Addressing the notion of proportionality in military responses, Graham posed a provocative question: “Would a proportional response be launching 200 ballistic missiles from Israel into Iran, mimicking what the Iranians did to Israel?” He emphasized that one Holocaust is enough for the Jewish people and urged Israeli leaders to take whatever actions necessary for their defense.