U.S., Israel, Iran, & Qatar: Leverage, Timing, and the Next Phase of Power

Analysts, Kenneth Abramowitz and Rev. Dumisani Washington on force-posture, mediation leverage, and the Iran horizon

The Washington–Qatar–Israel–Iran crisis is no longer a single storyline. It is a convergence of pressure points: Gaza’s unfinished war, Iran’s nuclear trajectory, Chinese-Iranian military ties, and the role of mediators whose influence shapes what Washington considers “realistic.”

Recent Pentagon movements complicate the simple narrative that the United States is hesitating. Reports indicate U.S. refueling aircraft have shifted from Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, while the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group has been positioned near Israel’s northern coast. Those moves can signal deterrence, strike preparation, force protection, or leverage in ongoing negotiations. They do not resemble abandonment.

That context matters when revisiting two DemoCast interviews that now feel prescient.

At the Republican Jewish Coalition Leadership Summit on November 2, 2025, geopolitical analyst Ken Abramowitz argued that ideological regimes rarely stop voluntarily. Negotiations may be attempted first, he said, but enforcement ultimately determines outcomes. 

VIDEO: Ken Abramowitz Interview (Nov. 2, 2025)

Two Power Blocs, One Strategic Reality

Mr. Abramowitz frames the Middle East as shaped by two dominant ideological blocs: an axis centered around Qatar and Turkey aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood, and Iran’s revolutionary regime. Whether one agrees with every descriptor, the structural observation stands. Both systems expand influence through proxy networks, financing channels, media ecosystems, and diplomatic positioning.

His strategic claim was blunt: in military affairs you need capability and willingness. Israel, he argues, clearly retains both.  The present question is whether the United States is pacing its use of capability — or withholding willingness.

Hostages, Mediation, and Leverage

Speaking with DemoCast at the NRB Convention in Nashville on Friday, February 20, 2026, Rev. Washington warned that frameworks relying on voluntary disarmament by Hamas were structurally unsound and that political loyalty should never override accountability. 

The hostage-first approach in Gaza inevitably created leverage for Hamas. If hostages are prioritized, the party holding them retains bargaining power. When bargaining power exists, mediators become indispensable.

This is where Qatar’s role becomes structurally significant. Mediation itself is not malign. But when a mediator becomes indispensable, mediation can turn into leverage. The party that controls access controls tempo.

Rev. Washington warned that expecting Hamas to voluntarily disarm misunderstands both its charter and its incentives.

VIDEO: Rev. Washington Interview (NRB Nashville, Feb. 20, 2026)

Rev. Washington believes that if enforcement mechanisms remain theoretical, peace frameworks risk becoming messaging frameworks.

China, Iran, and the Expanding Perimeter

The crisis is not limited to Gaza. Reports that Iran is nearing acquisition of Chinese-made anti-ship missile systems, alongside U.S. sanctions targeting supply chains feeding Iranian drone networks, reflect a widening strategic perimeter. This does not equate to a formal proxy war between Beijing and Washington. But it does indicate that Iran’s military ecosystem intersects with global procurement and partnership channels.

At the same time, homeland security assessments describe a dynamic domestic threat environment shaped by terrorism risks, espionage concerns, and potential retaliatory activation of aligned networks. Major military decisions are never taken in isolation from domestic vulnerability calculations.

Strategic Ambiguity or Strategic Leverage?

The emerging picture may not be surrender or retreat, but coercive diplomacy under guard — military assets positioned visibly enough to deter, negotiations extended long enough to test intentions, and strike capacity held in reserve.

If force posture adjustments are designed to pressure Iran into ceding enrichment capacity or accepting verifiable limits, then delay may function as leverage rather than hesitation.

The evidence suggests stated objectives remain intact: dismantling Hamas’s governing capacity and preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. What appears unsettled is method and sequence.

Major military decisions reflect multi-theater risk assessment: Iranian retaliation, proxy activation, maritime disruption, cyber escalation, and domestic security exposure all factor into the calculus. Strategic pacing may reflect layered risk calculation rather than reversal.

But pacing carries risk. Time can extract concessions — or strengthen the adversary’s depth. Deterrence does not fail when force is delayed. It fails when force is no longer believed possible.

The coming weeks will determine whether current ambiguity produces enforceable constraints — or forces confrontation under less favorable conditions.

Mr. Abramowitz’s warning about capability and will still stands.  Rev. Washington’s warning about confusing messaging for enforcement still stands. 

The difference now is that the chessboard has become visible. The question is not whether the United States is deciding. It is whether its adversaries believe it will.

At R.J.C., Save the West expresses concern over NYC Mayoral Election

Ken Abramowitz Sounds Alarm on NYC Mayoral Candidate at Republican Jewish Coalition 2025

Ken Abramowitz, President of Save The West, delivered pointed remarks about the upcoming New York City mayoral election at the Republican Jewish Coalition 2025 conference. Speaking just days before the election, Abramowitz expressed deep concerns about candidate Zohran Mamdani and what he sees as a systemic failure in the electoral process.

The Threat to New York

Abramowitz, a former New Yorker, expressed sadness (0:24–0:30) about the current state of New York City. He characterized the leading mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as representing foreign interests rather than American values.

According to Abramowitz (0:51–1:13), Mamdani represents Iranian interests and adheres to an ideology fundamentally opposed to the principles that have made New York a diverse, thriving metropolis. He questioned how someone with such views could be allowed to run for mayor of a city with the world's second-largest Jewish population.

Constitutional Concerns

At 1:51–2:27 in the video, Abramowitz raised concerns about what he describes as coded language around “globalizing the intifada,” which he interprets as incitement to violence. He argues that anyone running on such a platform should be disqualified from public office.

“We do not need alien invaders to come to New York and say they're going to violate the Constitution because they don't care about the Constitution.” – 3:48–3:59

He emphasized (4:06–4:27) that candidates who openly oppose American constitutional principles should not be permitted to seek office, comparing it to allowing known criminals to run for public positions.

The Three-Colored Threat

Abramowitz outlined his framework (6:27–6:59) for understanding what he sees as America's major adversaries, color-coding them as:

• Reds – Communists
• Greens – Islamists
• Blues – Globalists

Systemic Failure

Starting at 7:15–7:53, Abramowitz argued that allowing such a candidate to run represents a failure at every level of government—federal, state, and local. He drew parallels to other moments of systemic failure in American history, including Pearl Harbor and 9/11, and in Israel with October 7th.

He stated (8:00–8:40) that candidates should be required to publicly renounce Sharia law and affirm their acceptance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights in English, Arabic, or Farsi before being permitted to run for office.

Cultural Protection

Using analogies about golf clubs and hypothetical scenarios in Saudi Arabia (9:12–9:54), Abramowitz emphasized his belief that societies must protect their founding values and cultural identity. He argued that just as other nations protect their cultural norms, America should do the same.

“Every culture has to protect its culture and can't allow foreign agents to come in and upset a culture of a country.” – 9:39–9:53

In his final analogy (9:55–10:38), Abramowitz compared the situation to someone joining a golf club but wanting to convert it into a tennis facility—illustrating his point that organizations and societies must maintain their core identity and values.

A Call to Action

Abramowitz concluded by emphasizing that protecting American institutions and values requires vigilance. He called for mechanisms to prevent candidates who he believes represent foreign interests or oppose constitutional principles from seeking public office.

The full interview provides a stark warning about what Abramowitz and Save The West see as threats to American civic life, particularly in major urban centers. As New York voters head to the polls, these concerns highlight the intense debate over immigration, integration, and what it means to be American in the 21st century.

Watch the complete interview above to hear Ken Abramowitz’s full remarks and analysis.

Save the West's Ken Abramowitz clarifies the nefarious movements questing over the West - for university students at RJC

23-years after the Sept 11th '01 Jihadist Attacks, Mr. Abramowitz teaches university students about the political movements challenging Western democracies in order to defend against them. 

Addressing the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity forum at the Republican Jewish Coalition's RJC Summit on September 6th, Kenneth Abramowitz, founder of the educational Save the West, explains to the university students of the forces spreading totalitarianism using Democrat government and media-abetted anti-Israelism.

Mr. Abamowitz discusses the current state of the world and the ongoing war between "the Yellows" (representing Western Civilization and its values, such as the rule of law and secularism) - and "the Reds" (Communists, globalists, and other authoritarian regimes). A second and third threat are "the Greens" (Iran, Turkey, and countries financing the Muslim Brotherhood) and "the Blues" (the United Nations and globalist organizations e.g., the World Economic Forum, the Cartels, and the big-tech / social-media companies) as enemies of the Yellows. He warns that they are declaring war on the Yellows.

 

Ken argues that anti-Semitism is a significant issue because it is a way for these enemies to destroy Western Civilization. He advocates for criminalizing anti-Semitism as a means of combating and deterring these forces. He also believes that anyone who supports a Palestinian State at this stage be considered unfairly against Israel. Time ran out before he could elaborate further.

Mr. Abramowitz is a well-travelled, well-respected analyst in international affairs.

In this exclusive video interview at the R.J.C. Summit, the Save the West leader identifies the primary threats to liberty as the Reds (Communists), Greens (Islamists), and Blues (globalists), who each aim to defeat Israel and Western Civilization.

Kenneth Abramowitz of Save the West at R.J.C. Summit

He believes that conflicts, including those in the Middle East, are interconnected and that America and European nations are not doing enough to support Israel.

Mr. Abramowitz criticizes past elections, specifically the 2020 election, for having "voting and tabulation irregularities" and expresses a lack of confidence in the tabulation integrity. He calls for Americans to prevent election theft by showing up in large numbers - and for the need to help allies like Canada and England do the same to save democracy.

He also expresses concern over the state of democracies in America and England, which he believes are being taken over by these forces and could lead to the last election if the Republicans do not regain dominance in American government policy.

At the beginning of the interview Ken outlines the main threats to freedom and the means to counter them. He contends that Americans often overlook the global interconnectedness of issues and views the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts as part of a broader scheme. He attributes these and other conflicts to three malevolent forces: the Reds (Communists), the Greens (Islamists), and the Blues (globalists), who aim to undermine Israel and Western Civilization, seen as the bastion of democracy and law. He criticizes the insufficient support from the US and European countries to Israel's defense of civilization and accuses the UK and the Democratic Administration of being compromised by these groups. Five minutes into the video, Ken voices his concerns about the state of democracies in America and England, which he perceives as being compromised by malevolent forces. He points out "voting and tabulation irregularities" in past elections, particularly the 2020 election, which he believes have gone unaddressed. Doubting the integrity of vote counting, he echoes Trump's assertion that a 60% vote is necessary to avert election fraud.

He implies that open borders are a tactic to enable illegal immigrant voting and warns that the upcoming election could be jeopardized if the Democrats, whom he labels as "Reds, Greens, and Blues," stay in power. He urges Americans to vote in large numbers to safeguard the election and stresses the importance of supporting allies like Canada and England in preserving democracy.

23-yrs of September 11ths - Remembering the innocent lives Islamist movements stole - and defending against their conquering non-Muslims

The Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden (dedicated on Sept. 11th, 2011) commemorates the victims of the September 11 attacks as well as the heroism of first responders, firefighters and law enforcement officers that day.  

Architect, Gigas Peteris, reveals 9/11 artifacts in Beverly Hills Memorial Garden, adjacent to BHFD Fire Station

Ken Abramowitz, executive director of Save the West, outlines the main threats to freedom and the means to counter them. He contends that Americans often overlook the global interconnectedness of issues and views the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts as part of a broader scheme. He attributes these and other conflicts to three malevolent forces: the Reds (Communists), the Greens (Islamists), and the Blues (globalists), who aim to undermine Israel and Western Civilization, seen as the bastion of democracy and law. He criticizes the insufficient support from the US and European countries to Israel's defense of civilization and accuses the UK and the Democratic Administration of being compromised by these groups.

Five minutes into the video, Mr. Abramowitz voices his concerns about the state of democracies in America and England, which he perceives as being compromised by malevolent forces. He points out "voting and tabulation irregularities" in past elections, particularly the 2020 election, which he believes have gone unaddressed. Doubting the integrity of vote counting, he echoes Trump's assertion that a 60% vote is necessary to avert election fraud. He implies that open borders are a tactic to enable illegal immigrant voting and warns that the upcoming election could be jeopardized if the Democrats, whom he labels as "Reds, Greens, and Blues," stay in power.

He urges Americans to vote in large numbers to safeguard the election and stresses the importance of supporting allies like Canada and England in preserving democracy.

Republican Jewish Coalition rolls out White House, Congressional champions of independence and security

Pres. Donald Trump addresses the Republican Jewish Coalition confab in Las Vegas: 'Preserve Republican leadership to save America against Red/Green revolutionaries!' 

The US president delivered these remarks to GOP Jews welcomed on eve of Israel's election, in advance of putting-forward his administration's Middle-East peace-plan. Based on the Obama administration's first term performance regarding Islamism and Judaism, Mr. Trump asks the audience rhetorically, "How the hell did Jewish people ever support Obama?

Pres. Trump reassured audience at Republican Jewish Coalition of his commitment to the stability of Israel, America's partner in support of freedom and democracy in the Middle East.  

Amidst chants of "four more years," Pres. Donald Trump addresses fixing Democrats and globalists' exploitations of America via Mexico, Iran, fomenting anti-Semitism, and yellow-journalism. 

Members of Jewish-Leftist, IfNotNow group (funded by democracy-destabilizer George Soros), interrupted the president's address and were summarily over-shouted by the audience and ejected by security guards. 

In Part 2, Pres. Trump addresses Democrat abuses through media, border, and reverse-racism.


 
Vice President Mike Pence leads a salute to Sheldon and Dr. Miriam Adelson for their leadership in patriotism for America and Israel.  V.P. Pence explains why the Trump Administration are Jewish people's best-friends in the White House - and what they promised to do and have accomplished in their first two years.

Sen. Lindsey Graham addressing Republican Jewish Coalition's Spring Meet in Las Vegas - goes out on a limb to guarantee Israel's safety as White House puts risky, Arab-sought, regional plan to them.

1. Also in this playlist (advance using button on upper-right), you may watch the remarks by Sen. Norm Coleman, RJC Nat'l Chairman;
2. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman;
3. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX);
4. Israeli U.N. Amb. Danny Danon;
5. Gov Kristi Noem (R-SD);
6. Elan Carr, US' Antisemitism Envoy;
7. Sen David Perdue (R-GA);
8. Former Democrat voters who have evolved to vote  Republican;
9. Heroes who saved lives at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue Massacre and against Muslim terror in Jerusalem; and
10. A talk with Sen Kevin Cramer (ND) and Rep Denver Riggleman (VA). 

In view of Islamist and Russian threats surrounding Israel, Sen. Lindsey Graham proposes that Congress assures Israel's  security through a mutual-defense compact.  

Ken Abramowitz, political analyst with "Save the West," interprets and elaborates on Pres. Trump's remarks in the context of the Islamo-Leftist campaign to discredit and replace Republican leadership.

Ken Abramowitz, chairman of "Citizens for National Security," interprets Pres. Trump's points at R.J.C. Vegas speech in the context of what he considers a cultural war from the Reds and Greens movement.

Parkland High School massacre: What does massacre victim, Meadow Pollack's father, Andrew, blame for our unsafe society?

Parkland High School massacre victim Meadow Pollack's father, Andrew Pollack, encourages support for Pres. Donald Trump's administration against the hyper-liberal Democrat policies imperiling civilized societies.

Mr. Andrew Pollack, father of Parkland H.S. massacre victim, Meadow Pollack, calls for Democrats (particularly, fellow Jewish Democrats in Florida) to #walkaway from what he has experienced as a corrupted, now-socialistic, anti-Semitic-pulled, Democratic Party.