Israel could be helpful in U.S. terror strategies

In an otherwise commendable article, the imam of the Islamic Cultural Center blames Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for distracting the United States while the “Islamic State planned its attacks in Paris and elsewhere.”

Netanyahu allegedly achieved this feat by misdirecting our attention to the “phantom threat” of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and away from ISIS.

Time will tell if Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism, will live up to its promises to curb its appetite for a nuclear weapon. History suggests Iran will not.

Whatever the case, it is simply ludicrous for the imam to even remotely suggest that Israel is at fault for the United States’ and the other western powers’ past collective failure to confront ISIS. Netanyahu could only dream about having such influence on other countries’ foreign policies.

We can all agree that ISIS must be stopped now. We should also agree Israel can play a pivotal role in addressing this latest threat to our way of life. Unfortunately, Israel has vast experience in confronting the purveyors of terror.

This story was originally published November 28, 2015 at 7:40 AM with the headline "Israel could be helpful in U.S. terror strategies."