The most prominent contender for the Republican presidential nomination, Vivek Ramswami, opposes the use of American force against Iran. In a special interview with Israel Hayom, he said that in fact this is a war that "does not belong" to the United States.
The conversation took place Monday at his campaign headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Ramswami stressed that he strongly opposes Iran possessing nuclear capability. Moreover, he believes that the missiles Iran is developing directly endanger the United States. Still, in his opinion, it is Israel that will have to use military force.
The rising Republican candidate in an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom \\ Brandon Goodyear
"One of the most important areas for a partnership between both the United States and Israel is to make sure together that Iran will never, never, ever be equipped with a nuclear program. If you look at the types of missiles Iran is working on, they don't need these missiles to hit Israel. They need these missiles to hit the United States. Therefore, it is in the self-interest of the United States that I take such strong positions."
So would Iran be willing to use military force to stop it? Because history shows that sanctions do not stop Iran. The only time it blocked the development of a military nuclear program was when President Bush invaded Iraq and they feared that America would harm them too.
"We will not prevent Israel from defending itself with full force. And we remain supportive of Israel, because it is our friend. But I think it's really important that the United States doesn't put our men and women on the line of war with Iran, when in fact there's no reason for us to be in that kind of war. It's not good for the United States, and it's not good for Israel. What we do need to do is make sure that Israel is strong so that Iran does not receive encouragement. You know, the ayatollahs in Iran prefer that Israel not exist. Let's just call this truth what it is. Therefore, Israel must be in a strong position to defend itself, and the United States will back it. But, this is a very different thing from automatically and with our eyes closed into war. I will be an anti-war president. And the way I'm going to do that is by deterring war, ending the war in Ukraine and deterring China. It's important to be strong, but in a way that doesn't accidentally lead us to wars we don't belong to."
It should be noted that Ramswawami's open opposition to the use of American military force against Iran breaks the declarative line of the last three American presidents. Both Biden and Obama, Democrats, as well as Trump, a Republican, have sometimes made it clear explicitly and sometimes implicitly that they will use military force against Iran if necessary.
"We remain supportive of Israel, because it is our friend," Vivek Ramaswamy, Photo: Reuters
In an exclusive and extensive interview today, Ramswami said that he had visited Israel many times in the previous decade as part of promoting his business, and that he believes the United States has much to learn from it. While he does not intend to demonstrate U.S. military might in the Middle East, Ramswami does believe strongly in ties and backing with Israel.
"The relationship between the United States and Israel should be one of true friendship. Not a deal, but a true friendship. At the end of my first term in office, I am confident that our relations with Israel will be stronger than they have ever been. What does this mean? I'm going to lead diplomatically and take the Abraham Accords to the next level. Forget the Oslo Accords. Forget Biden's tacit legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority, the Taylor Force Act (which prohibits the US from assisting the Palestinian Authority as long as the payment of terrorists' salaries continues), and the fact that Mahmoud Abbas is in his 18th year of a four-year term. It's pathetic."
"We are going to further advance Israel's diplomatic integration," Vivek Ramaswamy, Photo: AP
"We need a president of the United States with a backbone who will not adopt the thread of this anti-Semitic foreign policy. We should not hold Israel hostage because of the Palestinian question. We're not going to do that. We are going to further promote Israel's diplomatic integration. Let's put Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Indonesia into the Abraham Accords 2.0. That's what good friends do. They help each other."
What was your impression of the visits to Israel?
"I have good friends in Israel who are real choices. Every time I went to Israel, I learned something new. Israel has an excellent border policy. And there is a strong national identity through a culture of national service. I think it's a beautiful thing that brings together people of different ethnicities, even within Israel, for a common goal. It's something we can use, and that we're missing in this country. Israel's missile defense is tough, and the Israeli culture is, 'If I don't understand something, I'll go learn it and do it myself.' It's something I love, which is similar to the American spirit I want to bring back."
The full story will be published on Friday.
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