Trump to Israel: Let the al-Qaeda Guy Handle Hezbollah

By Andrew C. McCarthy

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

 

More news along the lines of my last post regarding credible reports that the Trump administration has agreed with Iran that the United States will shield Hezbollah (Iran’s proxy and a long-designated anti-American terrorist organization) from the Israel Defense Forces (mobilized because Hezbollah routinely attacks northern Israel from southern Lebanon).

 

Fox News reports that President Trump is publicly rebuking Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war with Hezbollah: “Israel’s fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are being killed.” Astonishingly, Trump added that Israel should stand aside and let Syria take the lead against Hezbollah.

 

A reminder: Syria is now run by a jihadist who claims to be a “former” al-Qaeda operative, Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly the designated terrorist known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, for information about whom the State Department offered a $10 million reward).

 

Some history. Al-Qaeda collaborated with Iran and Hezbollah beginning in the early 1990s. When U.S. forces attacked al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in 2001, in response to the 9/11 atrocities in which nearly 3,000 Americans were killed, Iran allowed al-Qaeda jihadists to flee across the border into Iran. Moreover, the regime harbored leaders of al-Qaeda, including Osama bin Laden’s sons and other family members. The 9/11 Commission found that Hezbollah provided some of al-Qaeda’s 9/11 suicide hijackers with logistical support during the plot (the commission called on Congress to do further investigation).

 

To bring things full circle, the formative figure of al-Qaeda in Iraq (which eventually became ISIS) was Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He was also harbored by Iran. Jolani (who now prefers to be known as al-Sharaa) became the leader of al-Nusra, al-Qaeda’s Syrian franchise. The State Department concluded that he was tasked by al-Qaeda in Iraq to lead the jihad in Syria.

 

So by all means, let’s have Israel stand down so al-Sharaa can take on Hezbollah!

 

You know what’s truly amazing? As I outlined this weekend, the president, bereft of any legal authority, is taking the position that his administration’s unilateral terrorist designation of a crime gang — based on drug trafficking, which is not terrorist activity under federal law — empowers him to kill Venezuelans in Venezuela who have not forcibly threatened the United States. Yet now, when it comes to actual Hezbollah terrorists designated as such for nearly 30 years — for making war on the United States, backed by the world’s leading state sponsor of anti-American terrorism — Trump wants to block our ally Israel, which faces an existential threat from Iran and its Hezbollah proxy, from fighting Hezbollah.

 

And his solution is to let a formerly designated al-Qaeda terrorist handle things. Truly.