What Now Is the Goal of This War?

While the objectives of the United States and Israel have repeatedly changed, only one remains constant

By Michael Oren

After the Casablanca Conference in 1943, the Allies—the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union—committed to the “unconditional surrender” of Nazi Germany and Japan. That goal never changed.

By contrast, the American policy toward this war has changed repeatedly. Initially supportive of Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas, it quickly morphed into “October 7 can never happen again,” to a call for a ceasefire and hostage release, and finally, to “this war must end.” Israel’s position has also changed. After long insisting on “total victory,” Prime Minister Netanyahu recently pledged “to destroy Hamas’s military capabilities, end its political rule in Gaza, and ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.”

Now, with the advent of the Trump administration, what will be America’s policy toward this war? Will it once again demand Hamas’s destruction or be satisfied with merely ending the fighting? Will Washington support continued efforts to degrade Hezbollah and prevent its return to southern Lebanon or merely uphold the ceasefire? And will Israel’s goals continue to change, from demanding Hamas and Hezbollah’s destruction to merely defending ourselves from their continued threats?

The answer to these questions can be summarized in one word: Iran. Though President Trump has expressed a preference for addressing the Iranian threat diplomatically, he has not, unlike Biden, ruled out the use of military force. The target of an Iranian assassination attempt, the president might choose retribution, the humbling of a cruel American enemy, and the transformation of the entire Middle East over a deal only marginally better than that signed by Obama in 2015. Along with forging the Abraham Accords, ending the Iranian threat would be Trump’s enduring legacy.

For Israel, finding a common military strategy with the United States against Iran would not only end the continuing threat from Tehran. It would cut off Iranian arms supplies and financial aid to Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, effectively drying them up. A U.S.-Israel campaign of regime change in Iran, beginning with eliminating its nuclear program, would provide a genuine and long-lasting victory.

Last week, I attended the president’s inauguration in Washington and was deeply impressed by the love for Israel I encountered from all the guests. This is indeed a historic moment. Seizing it must be our national goal