Let Israel Win the War Iran Started

Yesterday evening, 180 ballistic missiles rained down on Israel, sending the country’s citizens into bunkers, killing one Palestinian man—and failing to damage military sites. Israel has promised to retaliate. The White House has threatened unspecified consequences. How this ends is anyone’s guess. 

The question now is how we came to the precipice of a full-scale war between Israel and Iran. The answer is not found in Tehran or Jerusalem, but in Washington.  

Since October 7, we’ve seen a consistent story: The Biden administration views its support for Israel in purely defensive terms, and feels a duty to restrain Israel’s offense. The American hug comes with handcuffs.