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There’s no denying it, the relationship between Israel and the United States is very strong. It’s not just the diplomatic niceties or military coordination. It’s something deeper. It’s rooted in shared values, a common understanding of evil, and a moral clarity that defines both nations when facing barbarism.

That bond was on full display at the recent joint press conference between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem.

Rubio didn’t mince words. He called Hamas what it is, a terrorist regime that must be eliminated. “Hamas cannot remain in Gaza,” he declared. “Hamas is not only holding Israeli hostages but all of the people of Gaza.” In one sentence, Rubio cut through the moral fog and nailed the truth: Gaza is suffering because Hamas has turned it into a weapon of war.

Rubio reaffirmed U.S. support for reinstating sanctions on Iran, condemned the October 7th massacre, and stated unequivocally that recognition of a Palestinian state at this moment would “strengthen Hamas.” He even honored the eternal Jewish connection to Jerusalem by praising the archaeological significance of the City of David.

In addition, the topic of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria surfaced at the press conference with clarity and firmness. When asked directly, Prime Minister Netanyahu didn’t hesitate: “If countries take unilateral actions against us, they can expect we will respond with actions of our own.”

This was a sharp and unapologetic message—not just to European governments pushing for premature recognition of a Palestinian state, but also to anyone pressuring Israel to abandon its rights to its ancestral heartland.

While Secretary Rubio didn’t explicitly endorse Israeli sovereignty, he clearly stated that “we warned the countries trying to recognize a Palestinian state that Israel will respond to their moves.”

The implication was unmistakable: no US support for a Palestinian state, together with silent approval of Israeli steps to finally apply sovereignty in Judea & Samaria.

The path to stability doesn’t go through Brussels or Ramallah; it runs through security, deterrence, and respect for Israel’s right to determine its own future.

So yes, it’s refreshing and encouraging to see an American administration that understands the stakes and stands firmly with Israel. But even with all the right words, there are still three glaring blind spots in American policy that must be addressed if we are to win this war, and not just for Israel’s sake, but for the entire free world.

Blind Spot #1: Qatar Is Not a Partner—It’s a Patron of Terror

For all the tough talk on Hamas and Iran, Rubio’s silence on Qatar was deafening. He mentioned U.S. discussions with Gulf countries and a possible role for Qatar “in what happens next”, but not a single word about Qatar’s role in what happened until now.

Qatar has spent decades financing Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other radical Islamist movements around the world. It funds Al Jazeera, a media empire that spreads Islamist propaganda globally while masquerading as journalism. Hamas leaders have lived in luxury in Doha, Qatar, safe and sound for years while orchestrating genocidal terror against Jews.

Qatar is not a neutral broker and not a reliable U.S. ally. It is an enemy state actively waging information and proxy warfare against the West.

Israel’s recent precision strike on Hamas leaders in Doha was a bold and necessary move. “There is no safe haven for terrorists,” Netanyahu said. He’s right. And yet, Washington still treats Qatar like a partner. That’s not just a blind spot, it’s a dangerous delusion.

Blind Spot #2: Pretending Syria and Lebanon Still Exist

The Sykes-Picot map is dead. It’s been dead for years. Syria and Lebanon, as functioning nation-states, are long gone. What remains are battlefields ruled by militias, terror groups, and foreign proxies, chief among them Iran’s Hezbollah and Jolani’s jihadi ISIS brigades in Syria.

Israel doesn’t strike “sovereign” Syria or Lebanon. Israel strikes Iranian weapons convoys, Hezbollah command posts in Lebanon, and Jolani jihadi terror outfits in Syria that threaten our existence and have been committing ethnic cleansing against the Syrian Christians, Alawites, Kurds, and Druze. The West needs to stop pretending that these are normal countries and start recognizing the regional free-for-all for what it is: a brutal civilizational war between radical Islamic factions, where all the minorities are in a daily battle struggling to survive.

Policies built on old maps and outdated assumptions only tie Israel’s hands and endanger Western interests.

Blind Spot #3: The Whole Population is the Problem

This is the hardest truth of all, and the one no Western leader wants to say out loud: Hamas is not just a terror group, it is the popular ideological will of the people in Gaza. And the same is largely true under the Palestinian Authority in Judea and Samaria.

Poll after poll confirms what we all see on the ground, the Arab Muslim street in Gaza, Judea and Samaria does not want peace with Israel; they want Israel gone. October 7th wasn’t condemned by the masses; it was celebrated. Children were handed sweets. Songs of praise for the massacre flooded social media. All, as the non-combatants of Gaza danced for joy as our hostages were paraded in the streets for all to see. That’s not “resistance,” that’s genocidal hatred rooted in jihad.

The real issue is not occupation or settlements. It’s a Muslim ideology that rejects the very existence of Jews, Christians, and anyone who won’t submit to the Muslim caliphate. Whether Sunni-led by Qatar or Shiite-led by Iran, this is a global jihad movement that targets not just Israel, but America, Europe, and the entire free world.

Until the West is ready to confront that ideology, not just the weapons it wields, we will remain in a cycle of illusion and bloodshed.

Let Israel Do What Must Be Done—That’s America First

Despite these blind spots, the U.S.-Israel alliance is more critical than ever. Suppose we start with the premise that America truly wants peace, security, and long-term stability in the Middle East. In that case, it must give Israel the independence and support to finish the job, achieve total victory, implement Trump’s Gaza emigration plan, apply sovereignty in Judea and Samaria first, take all the land necessary in Southern Lebanon and Syria to secure Israel, protect the minority populations there and deter our genocidal enemies, without conditions, without micromanagement, and without illusions.

Israel is not the problem; it’s the solution. A strong, independent Israel that crushes terror in the region is not only good for Israelis, it’s good for Americans. It frees up U.S. resources. It deters Iran, Qatar, and all their proxies. It sends a message to jihadists everywhere: the free world will not be intimidated.

That is what America First actually looks like; relying on your most capable, trustworthy ally to handle the toughest region on earth, without US boots on the ground, so that America can focus on its real strategic threats, like China and the global economic war already underway.

Let Israel win. Let us be your forward base of freedom in the Middle East.

There is no immunity for terrorists, not in Rafah, not in Ramallah, and not in Doha.

And the sooner America sees that, the safer we’ll all be.

Avi Abelow is the host of the Pulse of Israel daily video/podcast and the CEO of ‘12Tribe Films Foundation’.