Instead Of Telling Israel To ‘Wake Up And Smell The Reality’ With The Iran Deal, JD Vance Needs To Take His Own Advice
Much attention is focused on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which is intended to lead to a formal agreement with Iran over the next 60 days. After Israel voiced their rightful concerns, Vice President JD Vance lashed out at the Jewish State, calling members of Netanyahu’s cabinet to “wake up and smell the reality of the situation.”
“I saw the Axios report, you know…that Netanyahu is fuming,” Vance began at a recent White House Press Briefing. “That’s not reflective of the conversations that I’ve had with him, but maybe he’s saying something to somebody else that he’s not saying to me. What I will say, and this does bother me, is that you have seen people within Bibi’s cabinet who have come out and attacked the deal and, in some ways, very personally attacked the President of the United States.”
“I guess my message to them would be twofold,” he continued. “Number one: Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time, and he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower. If I were in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”
“The second message I would give to some of those cabinet members—Bibi, to his credit, has not gone down this path, but to some of these cabinet members in Israel who are attacking the President of the United States—the other thing that I would say is that over the last three months, two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars,” the Vice President stated. “The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump. And anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the President of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in.”
That’s quite the statement. Israel needs to “wake up and smell the reality” on the ground, because the US is the “only powerful ally” that Israel has left in the entire world. Essentially, the Vice President just told Israel, “Do as we say—period.”
While it may be the case that the Jewish State has few friends among world powers, that does not make Vance’s fiery statements correct. It is to the shame of the world that they have chosen to side against Israel—especially Western countries like Canada, France, the UK, Australia, and others.
Israel has been dealing with Iran’s terror proxies for decades, exercising its right to protect itself from demonic terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah, whose sole purpose is to wipe the Jewish State off the map.
Part of the United States’ MoU with Iran includes an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and cessation of defensive strikes against Hezbollah. Meanwhile, the terror organization, no doubt under the orders of the Iranian regime, refuses to halt its attacks.
Iran has pressured the United States, as part of the MoU, to protect their main proxy, providing the terror group—severely reduced by Israel—with another opportunity to regroup and rearm all over again.
The United States, which appears to have capitulated, giving in to the Iranian regime’s demands, is now scolding Israel for speaking out against the deal.
Does anyone actually think that Iran is going to negotiate and behave fairly over the next 60 days? That is highly unlikely. They have a track record as expert manipulators, liars, and deceivers.
Instead of telling Israel to “wake up and smell the reality of the situation,” JD Vance needs to take his own advice and wake up to reality!
Israel Not Reckoned Among The Nations
What does the God of Israel have to say about all of this? Well, a lot actually. Here are a few things to consider.
First off, we can turn to Numbers 23, where the King of Moab hires Balaam to curse the children of Israel. Balaam was halted by God from cursing the Jewish people, and the Lord put these words in his mouth: “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him; There! A people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations” (v. 8-9).
That is what we read in our Bible, and that’s exactly what we see in our world: Israel is not reckoned amongst the nations. It is as though Israel is excluded from the nations. There seems to be a different set of rules as it relates to war when it comes to Israel. Israel can only defend itself for a short period of time against those who seek to destroy them until the world says, “You can’t do that anymore.”
We also know what God’s Word says about the future, describing a time when not one single nation will stand with Israel. This includes the United States, which is also witnessing a wavering within the Republican Party. Zechariah 14:1-5 details a future in which all the nations will be gathered against Israel.
It is also important to remember God’s promise of blessing and cursing concerning how Israel and His chosen people are treated—and it still stands today. God, once again putting his words in Balaam’s mouth, reaffirmed what he swore to in Genesis 12:3 in Numbers 24:9: “Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you.”
The world is in for a wake-up call. While hatred of Israel may be exponentially increasing globally, one day, it will forcibly come to an end as God Himself has decreed. Isaiah chapter 60:12-14 stated, “For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined. The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the pine, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I will make the place of My feet glorious. Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; And they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”
Get that? The nation and kingdom that will not serve Israel will perish. The glory of Lebanon shall come to Israel, and those who afflict her shall come one day, bowing down to them. This will be part of Israel’s future glory when Israel’s Messiah returns, and He rules and reigns on the throne of his father David from Jerusalem for 1,000 years.
There is a coming preeminent shift from the Gentiles to the Jewish people. Period. I don’t know about you, but I certainly am looking forward to that time. In that day, there will be no more Iranian regime to come against the Jewish people, no backdoor deals concerning Israel, no more Hezbollah, no more Hamas, no more Houthis, and no more Israel/Jew hatred.
Rather than scolding Israel for its legitimate concerns over what many view as a questionable agreement with Iran, Vice President Vance and President Trump should have recognized the dangers posed to Israelis.
The bottom line is this: God has sealed Israel’s future and security. That’s guaranteed. Israel has a bright future when their Messiah returns. As for the United States and the world, the course they choose will ultimately be judged not only by history but by God Himself.
Robert Gottselig is the Director of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry Canada, the host of ‘In News Surrounding Israel’and Cruizin’ For Zion, and a Contributor to Harbinger’s Daily.