The United States and Israel

A responsible U.S. policy on Israel would have the president and high U.S. officials in his administration unambiguously advance U.S. interests and restore trusting relations with Israel. Here are the essential elements:

1. The U.S. would declare that Israel needs no approval from Washington or anyone else to defend itself from the perils it sees. Moreover, the U.S. would declare that Israel would have U.S. military and political support if it decided it had to take military action to defend itself against attack.

2. The U.S. would declare that the continued existence of Israel is a vital U.S. interest.

3. With regard to Iran, the U.S. would declare that Iran's declaration of intent to end Israel's existence combined with Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means of delivering them near and far constitutes a mortal threat to Israel as well as a threat to other vital U.S. interests. This threat is so great as to justify preemptive military action unless immediately removed.

4. The U.S. would declare that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state with defensible and secure borders and to have its capital in an undivided Jerusalem.

5. The U.S. would declare that it would be guided by the foregoing principles insofar as they concern negotiations between representatives of Palestinian Arabs and Israel, ensuring Palestinian Arabs a secure state of their own.

6. The U.S. would declare that it opposes the practice of government-supplied educational materials and government-run institutions, such as schools, newspapers, and television programs that disseminate hate-inspiring messages about Israel, the United States, Jews, Christians, or any other group. The U.S. would take these heinous practices into account in all aspects of its relationships with governments that engage in them, including foreign aid.