June 24, 2025
This column originally appeared in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
At its core, this is about survival — the survival of a nation, a people and a future.
The Iranian regime’s nuclear ambitions are not some distant diplomatic dispute. They represent an immediate, existential threat to Israel. For many of us in South Florida, this is not simply a matter of foreign policy — it is deeply personal.
We have family, friends and loved ones living under constant threat, where air raid sirens force millions of Israelis to run for shelter at any hour. Their safety, their future and their very lives depend on Israel’s ability to defend itself against those who seek its destruction.
However, Iran’s aggression is not limited to Israel. This is a global threat. This is not only Israel’s fight; it is the world’s fight. A nuclear-armed Iran would jeopardize not only Israel, but the entire Middle East, the global economy and international security. The consequences of Iran’s malign actions, if backed by nuclear weapons, would be catastrophic and must never be allowed.
Iran’s leaders have repeatedly declared their goal to destroy Israel. They chant “Death to Israel” — not as an empty slogan, but as a reaffirmation of genocidal intent. And as Jews, we have learned from history that when our enemies say they intend to destroy us, we must take them at their word.
In the 1940s, when Jews faced annihilation, there was no sovereign Jewish state, no Israel Defense Forces and no means of self-defense. Today, there is Israel — strong, determined and prepared to protect its people. This is the meaning of Never Again: a solemn obligation to ensure the Jewish people will never again stand defenseless in the face of existential threats.
For years, Iran has brazenly defied international law, violated every agreement it has signed, and exploited negotiations to grow ever more dangerous.
Just days ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) again censured Iran for failing to comply with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations. It has obstructed inspections, concealed nuclear material, and operated covert enrichment facilities. This systematic deception has led us to the crisis we now face: a regime determined to acquire nuclear weapons capable of wiping entire cities and even nations off the map.
According to multiple reports, Iran’s nuclear program has advanced dangerously close to weapons-grade capability, rapidly narrowing the window to prevent a nuclear-armed regime from becoming a reality.
Even after this latest IAEA censure, Iran responded not with cooperation, but by announcing yet another enrichment facility.
Israel faced an unavoidable choice: allow Iran to continue unchecked or act decisively before the threat becomes irreversible. No responsible nation — certainly not one whose very survival is at stake — could choose inaction.
We must also be clear about the moral difference in how Israel and Iran conduct military operations. Israel’s strikes are precise, defensive and carefully targeted at military and economic assets tied to Iran’s nuclear and terrorist infrastructure. Its fight is with the regime, not with the Iranian people, who have been oppressed by the ayatollahs for almost half a century.
In contrast, Iran’s unprecedented launch of hundreds of missiles and drones deliberately targets Israeli civilians — firing at major cities, neighborhoods and population centers, aiming to murder as many innocent people as possible — Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.
Iran’s danger does not end with its nuclear ambitions. For decades, it has been the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, fueling violence across the Middle East and beyond. Through its terror proxies — Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthis and Shiite militias — Iran has destabilized governments, financed mass murder of civilians, and directly targeted U.S. forces.
As a leading benefactor of terrorists across the globe, the Iranian regime has the blood of thousands of Americans on its hands. In recent days, Iranian officials have threatened to strike U.S. military bases across the region, placing American lives in their crosshairs.
The time for moral clarity is now. In the face of an existential threat, Israel not only has the right to defend itself — it has the responsibility to do so. When millions of lives hang in the balance, inaction is not an option. All who cherish freedom, security and peace should stand with Israel.
Laurence Milstein is director of the American Jewish Committee regional office in Boca Raton.
