US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's visit to Israel this week is a milestone in the joint effort to stop Iran's nuclear program.
This is the first visit by a senior Biden administration official in the region, and this is a positive signal in and of itself as to Israel's status in the eyes of the United States.
On top of that, the visit and the talks it involves are taking place while Israeli and American defense officials are increasing their collaboration. Only recently Israel started providing Iron Dome missile defense systems to the US armed forces, which consider Israel to be an important ally.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Gone are the days of the openly hostile defense secretaries, as was the case with James Forrestal in the 1940s or with Caspar Weinberger in the late 1980s. Austin's political clout in the administration's inner circle was visibly on display as of late when he asked Congress for a much higher budget than experts had anticipated: $715 billion
Apart from that, the timing of the visit is critical: The US is now assessing the impact of the indirect talks with Iran on reviving the nuclear deal. It appears that Iran considers itself in a strong position and has interpreted the administration's conduct (including vis-a-vis the war in Yemen) as enthusiasm to reach a deal. Thus, it insists that all the sanctions that were imposed by the Trump administration be lifted, even those that are unrelated to the nuclear program.
This could prove counterproductive for Tehran. The Biden administration, having already shown that it is willing to hold talks, can seize on the Iranian intransigence in order to create a unified front with its European allies.
Austin's stance on Iran, as the former CENTCOM commander, will carry significant weight. He knows the power players in the region and thus it is important that Israel show to him just how closely knitted our defense establishments are on all fronts: technological innovation, intelligence, cyber, maritime defense, the global war on Islamic terrorism.
On this strong foundation, we can also build toward a more unified approach with the US on Iran, and lay forth key demands for a new deal that would be longer and stronger (as President Joe Biden said he wanted).
Thus, we cannot rule out that in light of recent events, including the leaks coming out of Washington, Austin will ask Israel to scale back its activities.
If he makes such a demand, it is imperative that we use this visit to once again make it clear to the Americans that Israel has the right to defend itself the way it sees fit. This is a sacred principle for Israel and it is also important to its new friends in the region, who rely on its strength and its willingness to use it when needed.
It also serves the US's long-term interest. As we learned in 1938, without exercising power when needed, negotiations can lead to appeasement.
Col. (res.) Dr. Eran Lerman is vice president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
