Donald Trump needs to resist calls to abandon Israel, even when those calls come from influential voices on America's political right, House Speaker Mike Johnson says.
Days before the U.S. president ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites on June 22, two high-profile Trump supporters – journalist Tucker Carlson, who campaigned for Trump during the presidential elections; and Steve Bannon, a former White House strategist under Trump – urged the U.S. to back away from its strong support of God's chosen people.
Carlson (right) criticized U.S. support for Israeli strikes against Iran on the basis that it could drag the U.S. deeper into the war "and imperil American national security."
Bannon, on his War Room podcast in June, stated that Israel is "not an ally" of the United States and said Trump needs to "reset" the relationship between the U.S. and Israel. "If they go it alone … it's the end of the American relationship with Israel. It's just the end of it," he said.
Israel didn't have to go it alone. Operation "Midnight Hammer" on June 22 used B-2 stealth bombers to deploy 14 bunker-buster bombs and launched cruise missiles from a submarine. It was the first offensive action for the U.S. after Iran had been bombed relentlessly by Israel.
The 12-day conflict ended with a ceasefire on June 24.
Consistent against the threat
The attacks caused Speaker Johnson to cancel a scheduled trip to Israel, Joel Rosenberg, author and publisher of All Israel News, noted on American Family Radio Monday. Carlson and Bannon, he said, represented "tremendous opposition" to the decades-old U.S.-Israel alliance from Trump's own party, the Republican Party.
"Maybe they're outliers, but they're pretty influential outliers," the acclaimed journalist and author added.
In an exclusive interview with Rosenberg posted at All Israel News over the weekend, Johnson praised Trump's consistency in confronting the threat posed by Iran not only to Israel but to the United States and other nations as well.
"The bombing that took place set back their nuclear program substantially, and that is good for peace around the globe and for all freedom-loving people everywhere, and certainly Americans," Johnson told Rosenberg. "If they had a nuclear capability, they would probably fire on Israel instantaneously. Their stated goal is to wipe Israel off the map, but they would certainly turn their attention to us as well."
How to end a nuclear threat in 37 hours
Fears that bombing Iranian nuclear sites would draw the U.S. to an extended war have so far proven unfounded.
"Johnson took a very strong stand in sharp contrast to Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon and others who were blasting Trump for bombing the Iranian sites saying it was going to lead to more 'forever wars,'" Rosenberg told show host Jenna Ellis.
Critics were saying that Isarel and the Jews were leading Trump to betray his MAGA base, Rosenberg said. Not Johnson.
The House Speaker, a strong Christian, is firm in his support for the U.S.-Israel relationship because of God's promise in the book of Genesis.
"It's a matter of faith for me," the Louisiana Republican told Rosenberg when they met in Johnson's office. "I think it is a model alliance that we have with Israel …. It's unlike any other in the nation because we have a shared Judeo-Christian heritage. It was part of the founding of our very nation 249 years ago."
That made an impression on Rosenberg.
"This goes back to the opening book in Genesis, you know, 'Bless the nation and blesses Israel and curse the nation and curses Israel,'" Rosenberg told Ellis. "He was very clear that he believes President Trump is absolutely right in the policies of standing with Israel and bombing the Iranian nuclear program out of existence."
He continued: "Speaker Johnson gave a very robust explanation of how his faith in Jesus Christ, as well as his love for the Bible from Genesis all the way through the end of the Bible, informs why he loves Israel and the Jewish people."
Operation Midnight Hammer lasted just 37 hours from beginning to end. According to Johnson, that's because Israel is a "model ally."
As Rosenberg pointed out, Israel did the 97% of the work – "And then the United States came with a B-2 stealth bomber and the bunker-buster bomb that nobody else in the world has. What a great Alliance when you can end a nuclear threat not just to Israel and to our Arab allies in the Middle East but to the United States and our interests and our allies, our 'America First' approach.
"That," said Rosenberg, "is what a partnership should look like."
The influence of Mike Johnson
In spite of the success of the strikes, calls for the U.S. to back away from Israel are problematic, Rosenberg explained. Such calls are expected from the Democrats, and certainly the calls are coming from House members Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others.
"But influential voices on the American right – Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon chief among them – that are really hostile to Israel … I think that's a problem," Rosenberg said.
Clearly exhibiting, in Rosenberg's eyes, why Johnson's stance is so important.
"Speaker Johnson is a huge force with Trump and bringing the House Republicans to real unity to stand with Israel and not let that sort of Tucker Carlson-Steve Bannon sentiment take root at least in the House conference," he concluded.
