How the vilifying of Israel endangers The West, emboldens our enemies who engineer it

In a sober and wide-ranging discussion hosted Tuesday 24 May by the American Freedom Alliance in Los Angeles, a panel of national security experts reflected on the enduring strategic ties

The conversation examined whether former President Trump’s evolving Middle East strategy, including delayed Israeli strikes on Iran, arms deals with Gulf states, and the realignment under the Abraham Accords, reflects American interests—or risks compromising them. With concerns about Iranian nuclear ambitions back in the headlines, the panel unpacked how Israel’s fate remains deeply interwoven with America’s national security and moral clarity.

Dr. Karen Siegemund

“Israel sits squarely in the cross-hairs of the Sharia-supremacists’ assault on the Judeo-Christian West—and defending Israel is defending ourselves.”

Dr. Siegemund began by warning that abandoning Israel would amount to abandoning America’s own civilizational integrity. She argued that what stands behind Israel is not just national identity but Western values—reason, freedom, and moral clarity. When we side with Israel, we are choosing civilization over barbarism.

Dr. Siegemund began by warning that abandoning Israel would amount to abandoning America’s own civilizational integrity. She argued that what stands behind Israel is not just national identity but Western values—reason, freedom, and moral clarity. When we side with Israel, we are choosing civilization over barbarism.

Frank Gaffney

“America’s enemies are colluding: Sharia-supremacism, Communism, and Globalism work in tandem to dismantle our civilization—with Israel on the front lines.”

Gaffney emphasized Iran’s expanding threat, noting the Islamic Republic's pursuit of nuclear weapons and its alliances with anti-American regimes. He described Israel as the forward sentinel of the free world against a global jihadist axis. America’s abandonment of Israel, he warned, would embolden adversaries worldwide and unravel U.S. deterrence.

Daniel Greenfield

“Iran is not just a nuclear threat—it’s a global hub for terrorism and revolution.”

Greenfield brought attention to the ideological war on Israel within American institutions. He examined how campus activism, media narratives, and progressive politics increasingly frame Israel as an oppressor, aligning with antisemitic and anti-American worldviews. Supporting Israel, he argued, is now tantamount to defending American identity and democratic civilization itself.

Dr. David Wurmser

“Israel, as the frontline target of the ideological war by Communist China and Islamist Qatar to destabilize Western Civilization, represents the first line of defense by the West.”

Wurmser provided geopolitical analysis, emphasizing how Israel’s strength stabilizes the region. He outlined the historic shift brought by the Abraham Accords and noted the shared interests between Israel and Sunni Arab states in countering Iranian aggression. A weakened Israel, he said, would disrupt this emerging alliance and invite chaos.

A Fork in the Foreign Policy Road

While no panelist directly condemned Trump’s recalibration of the Middle East, all expressed unease about the price of pragmatism. Can diplomacy coexist with deterrence? Can transactional relationships preserve transcendent values? These, not just the fate of Israel or Iran, were the questions they left hanging.

Though none of the panelists directly addressed recent reports of business involvement in regional diplomacy, their concerns suggested unease with what one could interpret as a growing convergence of commercial and diplomatic motives. With figures like Steve Witkoff reportedly working to negotiate Gaza redevelopment, and Trump's own entanglements with Gulf investments under scrutiny, the line between America’s strategic interest and private opportunity appears increasingly blurred. The White House’s willingness to coordinate with adversarial powers such as Qatar or Iran, some argued, may risk reducing Israel’s fate to a bargaining chip.

If the United States forgets why it once stood with Israel, the panel warned, it may soon forget how to stand for itself. At this turning point, fidelity to allies may reveal more about a nation's identity than any new doctrine ever could.