When Noam Chomsky shook hands with Hezbo Sheikh Nasrallah in May of this year, we could see the handwriting on the wall: no left—wing US administration is now going to support Israel in a standoff against a nuclear—armed Iran. The "Soros Democrats" are now in the hands of Chomsky admirers.  When Iran goes nuclear, therefore, a leftist administration will collapse before the superior will of the mullahs.

The next two American elections will therefore bear heavily on the fate of the Middle East. This year the Democrats will get their chance to control Congress again. If they win, they will do everything possible to undermine a vigorous US foreign policy. Leaking terror secrets to the New York Times is just the start. Democrats in Congress are staffed, financed, and indoctrinated by the Chomskyite Left.  They are useful fools at best, and knaves at worst.

But even if the Dems fail to win a Congressional majority in 2006, they stand a good chance for another Clinton Presidency in 2008. The domestic political stakes are therefore higher than they have ever been. This is now a world in which powerful weapons mean much less than the willingness to use  them, and the Khomeini Cult celebrates martyrdom and suffering, while Westerners just want to go to the beach.

That may be understandable, but in a nuclear confrontation you show me a good loser and I'll show you a total Loser.

For the Left, walking away from Israel makes all kinds of sense. It is the "peace—loving" thing to do.  The New York Times is already arguing that we just need to wait while the mullahs crumble, apparently by some sort of historical inevitability. It is pure magical thinking.  

While it is true that the Mullocracy is hated by Iranians, the Basiji and Islamic Revolutionary Guards have all the guns. They have shown they are quite willing to use them against their own people. Iranian sources claim that Ahmadinejad himself began as a torturer and executioner for the Khomeini regime in Tehran's Evin Prison. It is easy enough to imagine him in that role.

Just as important for the rising Persian Empire is the mullahs' willingness to suffer and die. Khomeinist fanatics say that "Allah will know his own." They do not live by popularity polls.

True Believers of the Left also echo Ahmadinejad. For them, Israel has no right to exist either. It is the alien residue of British Imperialism in the Middle East. As Ahmadinejad has it, why should European Jews have founded a state surrounded by Muslims? Let them go back where they came from.

It turns out, of course, that half of Israel's population fled persecution in Muslim countries. But facts mean less than stereotypes, and the Left still controls the stereotype industry.

The Cold War was a heroic effort by free nations to resist Soviet imperialism. That fact is lost to young people today — it doesn't fit the media line. But resisting Stalin and his heirs was frightening and took constant reminders of what was at stake. Keeping a steady course against endless domestic attacks from the pro—Communist Left was difficult and chancy.

Today we take it for granted that the West was destined to win against a decrepit Soviet state. But that is a delusional belief. It took immense moral courage to stand up to the Soviet threat, just as it took courage and clarity to win the war against the Nazis and Imperial Japan. More than once the outcome was decided by a mere toss of a coin. Today's Jihad War is no different, and the very chanciness of the outcome puts a special responsibility on each of us. We do not know what the outcome will be. We can only try to stiffen our spines as a nation and a civilization.

In the coming nuclear standoff with Tehran, no nation other than the United States will be trusted to provide protection. The whole world would die laughing if France promised to protect anyone.  The United States is still the only possible backbone of NATO. Without it, Europe crumbles, and the rest of the world goes too.

In a nuclear confrontation the Left will be ready to justify a new genocide of the Jews. According to the passionately anti—Israel Robert Fox in the UK website FirstPost,

"For the first time in generations, almost since Israel became a state in 1948, (Ehud Olmert) has allowed the very existence of that state to be put back on the agenda."

It is interesting that to Fox, Israel's Prime Minister is himself responsible for putting the existence of Israel "back on the agenda." In fact, it has been on the agenda of the Left—Islamist alliance for years, as Mr. Fox knows perfectly well.    

The fly in the ointment is that the Israelis have enough nukes to retaliate, in the worst case.  Fox even claims that Ehud Olmert was ready to nuke Iran in the Hezbo War. Fat chance.

Not only is a nuclear attack inconceivable for the Peace Now alums*, it fails the test of rationality: To attack at this point would be to give the Iranians a casus belli against Israel.

Nevertheless, Israel's nuclear weapons were developed with a doomsday scenario in mind. If Israel is truly cornered ——— and that may happen soon enough  ——— there is little doubt that she will respond.  The outcome of an Iranian attack on Tel Aviv would be a massive nuclear response.

That is not what anybody who is rational wants. Even the most abject nations must therefore want to keep down the risk of nuclear weapons in the hands of Tehran's suicide cult.  The Saudis and Egyptians understand that, as shown by their criticism of the Hezbos in the last few months. After all, Israel may be the first  target, but the Sunni Muslim nations would be next.

All this means that the United States is once again the indispensable country. Just as in the Cold War, no one else can be trusted. After their orgy of public hatred for America, even the Europeans will soon turn to NATO again ——— which means American power and American guts. Whether we in the United States will have the moral clarity and fortitude to stand against a constant assault from the Left will determine the outcome of the Jihad War.

*The article's original version cited Foreign Minister Livni as a Peace Now alumna, which was in error. We regret the misidentification.

James Lewis is a frequent contributor.