In a world where the lines between good and evil grow increasingly blurred, it’s time to pause and face reality: the State of Israel is not fighting only for itself. Once again, Israel is carrying the burden of standing up to tyranny — often alone, often at great cost, and always in the face of global hypocrisy.

Back in 1981, Israel demonstrated what strategic vision and moral courage look like. When the Israeli Air Force destroyed Iraq’s nuclear reactor at Osirak in what was later dubbed Operation Opera, the international community — including the US at the time — condemned the strike. Editorials attacked it, the UN Security Council denounced it, and pundits predicted Israel’s diplomatic isolation. And yet, a decade later, when Saddam Hussein’s missiles rained down on Tel Aviv and Riyadh, the world finally realized: Israel had prevented a madman from acquiring nuclear weapons. By the time the Gulf War broke out in 1991, there was no more debate — Israel had done the right thing, at the right time, for everyone.

This happened again in 2007 — this time in Syria. A covert site in the Deir ez-Zor desert, quietly built with North Korean assistance, was revealed to be a nuclear reactor under construction. Once again, Israel launched a quiet, precise, decisive strike and eliminated the threat. It wasn’t until 2018 that Israel publicly acknowledged the operation — but the world had already benefited. Does anyone seriously believe that a regime capable of gassing its own citizens with sarin would have hesitated to use a nuclear bomb if it had the chance? And what if that reactor had fallen into the hands of ISIS? Hezbollah? Iranian-backed militias? It’s frightening to imagine — and easy to understand the disaster Israel once again averted.

And now, we are living through another chapter of the same story. This time, the central actor is the Islamic Republic of Iran– a regime that has been working for years to acquire nuclear weapons, violating every agreement, shrugging off sanctions, and openly declaring its goal of wiping “The Zionist Entity” off the map. But there’s a new geostrategic dimension to this threat: Iran’s ambitions are no longer regional. Its missile program now reaches over 2,000 miles — which means not just Tel Aviv and Riyadh are in range, but also Athens, Rome, Paris, and London.

Earlier this month, on Day 61 following President Donald Trump’s 60-day ultimatum to Tehran, Israel struck. Not out of emotion, but through a cold, calculated, surgical military operation aimed at achieving a single objective: to keep the world’s most dangerous weapons out of the hands of its most dangerous regime. Nuclear facilities, underground bunkers, Revolutionary Guard bases — all were targeted. In response, Iran launched hundreds of rockets at Israeli cities, including residential neighborhoods, hospitals, mosques, and schools. Dozens of civilians have already been killed — Jews and Arabs alike. And yet, Israel stands firm. Despite its small size, Israel now controls much of Iran’s airspace and has returned home with undeniable operational success.

American forces recently joined the mission to neutralize Iran’s nuclear capabilities — a threat not only to Israel, but to the entire free world. This move stands in direct contradiction to the voices who claimed that President Trump was simply fighting “Israel’s war.” He wasn’t. He was fighting the war of liberty, of stability, of every democratic nation threatened by terror-backed regimes with atomic ambitions.

And here’s the key point for the American reader: Israel did not act only on its own behalf. It did what other countries were too afraid to do. Many European nations — the same ones that routinely criticize Israel — lack both the will and the ability to confront Iran. But they will be the first to pay the price if Iran goes nuclear. If the free world does not want to get its hands dirty — it must at least let Israel do the job. If it refuses to intervene — it must provide intelligence, financial, and diplomatic support. And if it won’t do even that — then at the very least, it should stop pointing fingers.

This is not just Israel’s war. It is the war of every democracy. Every believer in liberty. Every nation that wants its children to grow up free from nuclear blackmail.

And a final word to decision-makers in Jerusalem: don’t fall into the trap of “regime change” dreams. That path has failed in Vietnam, in Afghanistan, in Iraq — and in Lebanon. It will fail in Tehran as well. Intervening in another country’s politics only unites the people around their flag and pushes moderate voices into silence.

Israel’s goal should remain clear and focused: prevent a nuclear Iran. Not to rebuild Persia. If democratic reform comes as a byproduct of that mission — all the better, especially for the Iranian people themselves.

But Israel must stay the course — with courage, precision, and restraint. And the free world? It must rise — and applaud.

Itamar Tzur is the author of “The Invention of the Palestinian Narrative” and an Israeli scholar specializing in Middle Eastern history. He holds a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Jewish History and a Master’s degree with honors in Middle Eastern studies. As a senior member of the “Forum Kedem for Middle Eastern Studies and Public Diplomacy,” he leverages his academic expertise to deepen understanding of regional dynamics and historical contexts.

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