Mark Dubowitz

that we are going to get a president in the White House who is hostile to them, who either doesn't believe in their right to exist or believes they are more of an adversary than an ally.

I think you're right.

I think there is absolutely that risk.

I think if the war goes very badly, I think that, yes, there will be people on the left and right who blame Israel.

I think incorrectly, unfairly, but that doesn't matter because that'll be the narrative because I don't think President Trump was dragged into war with Iran by Israel.

I mean, if you've been listening to Trump

He's been obsessed with the threat from the Islamic Republic and the feckless American response for many, many years.

And he's talked about denying Iran a nuclear weapon for many, many years.

So the notion that, you know, Bibi Netanyahu somehow manipulated Donald Trump to go into war with Iran, I think is fanciful, but I think you're right.

I think that'll be the conspiracy theory on both the left and the rights.

I think the Israelis took the risk.

Well, I know there's been some reporting in your paper about this.

I don't think the Israelis told Donald Trump that the Iranians will be on the streets while we're dropping bombs on Iran and that there'll be regime change in a few weeks.

I think it's absurd to allege that it happened because we know that Iranians would not come to the streets while bombs are dropping.

They didn't in June.

It took them six months to come to the streets.

And President Trump, in the first couple of days of the war, maybe even the first day, told Iranians to stay home

because bombs were dropping.

So I don't think the Israelis told them that.

I think, again, President Trump has made that decision.