Clinical psychologist Dr. Tzvi Mozer says Israel should stay calm in light of the evolving US-Iran talks and keep insisting on its security interests without giving up freedom of action. He argues that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding “does not sound good,” and says Donald Trump’s remarks are “terrible,” because they now portray the Iranians as no longer extremists and treat attacks on Israel as insignificant if there are no casualties.
Mozer says Trump has proven unreliable, calling him “the chicken” in negotiations with Iran and accusing him of using Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel as scapegoats for his frustrations. At the same time, he says it is too early to declare the current situation a “great betrayal,” and urges patience until the final wording of any deal is known. Israel, he says, must avoid committing itself to the agreement.
He says Israel must preserve its operational freedom first in Lebanon, but also in Gaza and other fronts, including Iran itself if the deal fails to solve the nuclear problem, the ballistic missile threat, and terrorism conducted through proxies such as Hezbollah, the Houthis and others. If Israel must act without Trump’s approval, Mozer says it should do so only after minimum necessary notification and coordination. He also says Israel is an ally, not Trump’s proxy, and should confront him “as pleasantly as possible, but also firmly.”
Mozer adds that the issue may reflect not only Trump but a broader American reluctance, or inability, to use full force, especially in the Middle East. He says Trump’s current deal barely improves on the Obama-era agreement he once denounced, and warns that if he does not correct course, he may be remembered as a president who surrendered to Iran. For now, Mozer says Netanyahu and Israel should keep a “cool face,” avoid grandiose statements, focus on Lebanon and Hezbollah, and try to maintain internal unity by setting aside less important domestic disputes.
