Opinion | What the US needs to do after Iran’s attack on Israel

The two conflicts have been intertwined in Congress for months. That’s because the Senate bill, the only aid package that passes at least one chamber and could pass both chambers, would fund the defense of Ukraine and Israel. Linking the two made sense after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, as the United States sought to support two democracies in crisis. The inclusion of pro-Ukrainian and pro-Israel lawmakers also helped expand political support for the bill.

The situation has become more complicated since the aid bill passed the Senate six months ago. On the left there is growing concern about Israel’s operations in Gaza, and on the right there is opposition to funding for Ukraine. In the wake of the weekend’s attack on Iran, a vote on the aid package could be more favorable to both sides. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) should move this issue to the floor immediately.

It’s not just political advisers who are in a hurry. The situation in Ukraine has become desperate after six months of pointless House delays at the behest of the Republican Party and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The country needs air defense, ammunition and fighter jets from a coalition of countries like the one that intercepted Iran’s weekend salvo aimed at Israel. Neither money nor arms can solve Ukraine’s military problem, but the country is moving to raise more troops at the risk of a limited number of young Ukrainians dying on the battlefield.

Further delays will help Russian President Vladimir Putin, who can reorient the Russian economy toward war production and throw waves of infantry into Ukraine’s thin front lines. By supporting Ukraine now, President Putin would show that he cannot expect Western support for Ukraine to weaken with Trump’s inauguration, as is clearly the case.

Whatever Trump’s intentions, a significant infusion of U.S. aid could help Ukraine weather critical months of fighting, and European countries could use the time to step up support. . French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken more forcefully in recent weeks about the threat Russia poses to European security and the need to support Ukraine’s fight. And no matter how the war ends, providing support now will put Ukraine in a better position to negotiate later. It would protect Ukraine’s aspirations to build democracy and orient itself toward Western Europe and the United States.

Detente and eventual peace should also be a given in the Middle East. Over the weekend, Iranian attacks were repulsed in the skies by the Jewish state’s air defenses and fighter jets, as well as significant support from the United States, Jordan, France and Britain. The alliance’s swift action was a welcome sign of resolve and exemplified what economists call a “clear preference” in a geopolitical context. When faced with a choice between Israel on the one side and the Iranian theocracy on the other side, there is what the West and at least the West call a “clear preference.” One important Arab state chose the former without hesitation. President Biden would be wise to urge Israel to avoid escalating retaliation with Iran and the broader war it could lead to. Israel has shown that it can act in its own defense and fend off Iranian attack as long as it maintains international relations.

To preserve these relationships and end the intolerable suffering of civilian men, women and children, Israel’s priority is to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible. This requires immediate access to humanitarian aid to desperate Palestinians. It aims to develop a credible end goal for military operations that respects civilian lives, and to build a new political system in Gaza that sidelines Hamas and gives Gazans some hope for the future. means. After the weekend’s moment of regional anti-Iran cooperation, Israel and the United States may have an easier time convincing Arab countries to cooperate in rebuilding Gaza.

The first step is a six-week ceasefire, which Israel and Hamas have been negotiating on and off for several weeks, and which includes the release of hostages held by Hamas. Hamas leaders who have held out after this weekend should understand that Iran and Iranian-backed attacks will not save them — partly due to recent friction with Netanyahu’s government. Despite this, the United States remains committed to Israel’s security.

Both disputes appear to remain far from resolved. The United States could leverage its own capabilities to avert the worst, as it did over Israel last weekend.