Dear Mr. Friedman,
The most pressing strategic challenge facing Israel today is Iran. This regime has long been the primary source of regional instability, supporting proxy terror networks, pursuing nuclear weapons, and seeking the destruction of the Jewish state. Yet, the changing geopolitical landscape offers a rare moment of opportunity: Iran has suffered significant setbacks – many of its top commanders, nuclear scientists, and key military sites have been targeted, and its missile capabilities are increasingly compromised.
Proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas, once formidable, now lack the operational strength they once wielded. For the first time in years, Israel holds a strategic window to actively eliminate Iran’s nuclear ambitions and dismantle its regional proxy network, preventing future attempts to rebuild these destructive infrastructures.
Now is the time for an assertive strategy
This is a critical crossroad in history – an exceptional chance to break free from the cycle of reactive defense driven by fear. A decisive and assertive strategy rooted in the reality that Iran’s threat is addressable can help secure a safer future for Israel and the region.
While an exit strategy is vital to avoid endless warfare, this moment demands bold action to decisively neutralize Iran’s nuclear and regional threats – liberating the Iranian people from tyranny and paving the way for lasting regional peace.
Shortly after October 7, you urged Israel’s leadership to avoid falling into Hamas’s trap and called for restraint unless paired with a clear push toward a two-state solution with the Palestinian Authority. While I share the long-term goal of peace, I take issue with the logic underpinning this advice.
You suggest that Israel should not respond forcefully unless negotiations are reengaged. This reflects a common Western view: that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved without first resolving occupation issues. But this oversimplifies reality. The refusal to accept Israel as a Jewish state existed long before any territorial occupation and remains a fundamental obstacle.
As someone who appreciates the nuances of Middle Eastern language and culture, I would expect your analysis to address the importance of deterrence. Were any Israeli government – regardless of its ideological composition – to tie its military response to negotiations, it would be perceived as a concession, risking projection of weakness. Such an approach could embolden regional adversaries and undermine Israel’s security.
Diplomacy is crucial but the timing is important
In your column published June 16, 2025, you rightly noted: “To be ready to out-crazy the crazies has been a necessary condition for Israel to survive in the Middle East.” Yet, you also acknowledged that this strategy leads to an endless cycle of violence and that exploring peaceful alternatives is essential – not only for Israel’s interests but also to isolate Iran.
I agree that diplomacy must be pursued. However, I question the timing, especially given the current regional and global circumstances. Your call for renewed diplomacy when Iran appears weakened raises critical questions: Would a nuclear deal similar to the 2015 JCPOA, even if it temporarily prevents nuclear proliferation, truly serve Israel’s interests? Would it address Iran’s ongoing regional malign activities? And can Israel accept the potential consequences of such an agreement?
The reality today is that Israel can no longer afford the strategy of “kicking the can down the road.” October 7 marked a paradigm shift: Israel must abandon complacency and recognize the opportunity to fundamentally reshape its security posture. This moment offers a chance – not just for Israel but for the entire region – to reset its course toward a more secure future.
I fear that your repeated calls, Mr. Friedman, to prematurely pursue diplomacy and a ceasefire will miss the mark. Only through a decisive victory can the dream of genuine, lasting peace become attainable. I long for a future where Israelis no longer see peace as a fragile hope shadowed by fear, but as a natural outcome of strength and resolve.
The bold and determined actions we undertake in the coming weeks are essential – not only to eliminate threats and secure Israel’s future but also to lay the foundation for peace rooted in victory, not weakness.
The writer is a fellow at The Jewish People Policy Institute. He served as Diaspora affairs adviser to then-prime minister Naftali Bennett and was the director of strategic engagement at AIPAC before that.