JERUSALEM, Israel – Some criticize the U.S. and Israel for even hinting at the idea of overthrowing the terrorists leading Iran. Yet, to hear the other side, CBN News spoke with Jerusalem Post commentator Gil Troy about why such a regime change would not only be a good idea, but a necessary one.
To watch the interview, click on the video above. The text of the interview is below.
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PAUL STRAND:
We’re speaking with Gil Troy, Jerusalem Post commentator. Historian. Scholar. Gil, right now, there’s a big argument over this idea of America and Israel pushing for regime change in Iran, and a lot of people are thinking that’s just not done. That shouldn’t be done.
But could you maybe explain the arguments for why this is not just moral, but even crucial?
GIL TROY: Let’s be clear: this is not an Israeli obsession. This should be an American obsession because Israel is merely little Satan. America is the great Satan. There is a regime in Iran. We should be very careful. This is not against the Iranian people. (It) Is actually in favor of the Iranian people. You’re right. This is a regime that killed 36,000 of its own people just in January alone, let alone tens of thousands over the course of 40, 40-plus years.
So you have a regime which is. And by the way, let’s also point out that it’s a thousand miles from, between, Jerusalem and Tehran. Right? So where’s the fight? The fight is not over a border. America is 5,000 to 6,000 miles away from Tehran. The fight is that there’s an ideological regime which is not only oppressing its own people, wants to control the region, but also wants to destroy these two democracies.
Why? Because there are two covenantal democracies. There are two democracies committed to liberty, the two democracies committed to freedom. And so this is a moment where our values and our national security needs, and I say, as Americans, meet them.
PS:
Why is the overthrow of the Islamic regime of Iran just as important for the Israeli people as it is for the Iranian people?
GT:
So, since the regime change of 1979, this revolution, and by the way, we should emphasize that for thousands of years there were warm connections between the Persian people, the Iranian people, and the Jewish people, both in Iran and after 1948, the Shah of Iran and the Iranian regime then was actually quite pro-Israel. And so there’s no kind of inherent antisemitism in the Iranian people, and there’s no inherent anti-Iranianism in the Jewish people or in Israel.
But the regime has. What does a dictatorship need? A dictatorship needs a good enemy. They don’t care about allies. They care about enemies. And Israel.and again, America, became their favorite enemy. And so, despite of being so far away, they demonized Israel. They demonized Jews, they demonized Israelis, they killed Jews in Argentina. They’ve killed Jews in countries all over the world.
Why? Because they, that is their way of trying to feel embattled enough both to oppress their people and to lash out. Wow. And to justify taking all the billions of dollars in oil revenue. And instead of building up the people of Iran, knocking them down or trying to knock us down.
PS:
Wow. Right now it seems like President Trump is, really wants to cut a deal of some sort and get this over with. But why? Why is it just speaking about the region and politics and all that? Why is it maybe more dangerous to leave Iran right now than to actually push for regime change? Why is that maybe more dangerous for the region?
GT:
So, let’s first point out that regime change can’t be done with a press of a button. Right? Right. This is a regime which has kind of built itself up and worked its way into the, the essence of the country for 47 years. And it’s terrified people and has killed all kinds of people inside Iran and outside. I’ve argued it’s because they don’t want to leave.
So we have to say that it’s not, you can’t just press a button and have it happen. But, we’re, I’m confused. It’s really confused that since the start of this round of the Iranian war and, frankly, since October 7th (2023). Anybody who didn’t doubt how dangerous Iran was has now seen how dangerous Iran is. Again, in January, we saw how dangerous it is to its people since late February, early March.
We’ve seen that it didn’t just attack Israel. Why is it attacking Israelis? But they attacked the U.A.E, Qatar, all these – Saudi Arabia – all these countries around Iran, which were supposedly its friends and allies, and now they’re blocking the Strait of Hormuz. So where I said, I look at the world and go, what’s wrong with you?
Don’t you understand who hates you and who’s with you? Don’t you understand this kind of threat? And I think the entire world, including China and Russia, should be blocking Iran, blockading Iran. And I’m very glad that President Trump has blockaded the Straits of Hormuz and basically said, you’re not getting any oil. I think there is a need to kind of choke the Iranian economy, not the Iranian people, in order to free the Iranian people.
And the three most important things have to be no nukes, no ballistic missiles, and no firing of sanctions. That brings billions of dollars back in to this. Not the people, but this evil regime which hates America and hates Americanism and hates American ideals. Yeah.
PS:
And what it feels like is that now, if we get out of there, this, this war that we meant to weaken Iran, that we may have actually strengthened them more, and that they’re going to be like the power guy in the region if we don’t do something to knock them off.
GT:
If we hold the line on those three things, even if through with Jim survives, it’ll be much, much weakened. And we ultimately have to wait for the Iranian people to turn on the regime and for the regime to implode. Like, anybody who right now says we won or we lost, anybody who says there’s going to be regime change or there isn’t going to be regime change is living in La-La Land. We’re in the middle of the event.
Let’s be clear: this is a war of self-defense. This is a war that’s existential for Israel, for America, for the world. And basically, what’s happening is, is that Israel and America – not in this war of aggression, in this war of self-defense – are taking out the garbage for the world. We’re doing the world’s dirty work, and the world should be saying thank you.
How can we help Russia, China, the entire world to be saying, “This is an unacceptable regime, and we’re going to cut them off, and we’re going to make sure that we have a safer country entirely and that we have a safer world externally, because Israel and America have done the dirty work?”
PS:
Right. And right now, this war that was meant to weaken Iran, it may have actually strengthened them. So maybe more has to be done. Thank you so much, Gil. Thank you. Jerusalem Post commentator.
