David Siegel
JNS, Sept. 11, 2024
“There is a distinction between Sept. 11 and Oct. 7, however, and it is that Europe is more than just a junior partner to the United States; it’s an active partner to America and Israel in the fight against radical Islamism and the axis of authoritarian regimes that feeds this confluence.”
As we approach the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, followed by the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, it’s important to reflect on the evolution of the U.S.-Europe-Israel relationship. After all, the future of the Western alliance depends on this triad’s ability to thwart our shared adversaries.
In the global war on terror after 9/11, when nearly 3,000 Americans were killed after terrorists hijacked planes and flew them into the World Trade Centers in New York, the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania, European countries aligned with the United States to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq. All told, 21 European countries joined the United States to defeat the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. The United States could not have engaged in these wars had it not been aided by its major European allies.
No doubt, a lot was being asked of our European allies. After all, Al-Qaeda hadn’t attacked them, and Saddam wasn’t saber-rattling in their direction. In fact, many Europeans didn’t want to enter the war, and most of them were underprepared militarily to participate much beyond sending troops to the region. … [To read the full article, click here]
