One of my big concerns is about the tendencies in the United States to be isolationist. That has happened throughout our history. I mean, World War II is a classic example where the America First policy basically said “who cares what happens in Europe.” As a result, there were terrible times.
Isolation, and a certain fatigue, could come along with protectionist sentiments. The president is trying to pass a trade bill, and you see protectionist tendencies trying to fight off the trade bill, and there is a nativist element too. In the 1920s there was a period when we were isolationists. It was said we had too many Jews and too many Italians. Therefore we decided against immigration. And you begin to see the reverberations of history in 2015. Do they all relate to each other? I happen to think they do. I think it requires leadership to explain to the American people why our involvement overseas is important. Which is one of the real lessons of 9/11 –that human conditions elsewhere matter to our security.”
Nowadays the over-arching issue for Israel is Iran. You talk about Iran in your book and you write that you had three options: an agreement, aggressive diplomacy, or attack. So what do you think should be done with Iran?
This is a very delicate subject which I am not going to comment on. Every comment I make on this would be interpreted as undermining the president’s decision. Therefore I am going to let this issue rest.
But can the Iranian regime be trusted?
That is a judgment people have to make. When somebody says something, do they mean it? Every president, every prime minister, every person has to make those kinds of judgments. Do they believe what they say? When I was president sometimes people would tell me one thing and mean another. It happens often in politics. You have to adjust to that. You have to be realistic on whether you can trust a person’s word. The president is going to have to make this judgment call.
You went to war in Iraq because Saddam Hussein did not comply with a resolution requiring inspection. How can anybody make a deal with Iran when its leader has vowed not to allow inspections?
Look, the president will have to make the best decision he can make.
As a former president, is it getting easier or more difficult to defend Israel in the international arena?
I think America is still very pro-Israel. A lot of people say my pro-Israel position is based upon my faith, my Christianity. No; while Israel is important for faith and the whole Bible is based upon Israel, my support is because Israel is a longtime ally and a democracy. Remember, I am an advocate of democracy as a means for peace. And therefore it is important to defend a democracy.
For whatever reason, I do believe there is strong support for Israel in America. I know that in certain parts in our country there are divestiture programs. A lot of them happen to be on college campuses…. I don’t spend too much time there. My part of the world, the people I deal with, they are very strongly for Israel.”
Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the U.S. is always popular, even when the incumbent president is unpopular.
I hope so. America has been very supportive of Israel. I went to Yale with guys who were very much involved with the Jewish youth movements, and I did an Israel Bonds event the other day and a number of people who came up to me told me, “My kid is now in an exchange program in Israel.”