Dear Friend of Israel, Friend of FLAME:

Following the President Trump’s order to launch attacks on Iran to prevent the Islamic Republic’s reckless development of nuclear weapons, its proliferation of ballistic missiles and its use of proxy terror groups to attack U.S. allies and international trade, legacy media outlets exploded with harsh “legal” criticism, falsely implying that Mr. Trump’s actions violate American democracy itself.

NPR noted that the Iran “strikes were launched without approval from Congress” and that “the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war.” CNN warned that Trump’s action risks unconstitutional escalation and sets a dangerous precedent. What these and other media neglected to explain was that Presidents Carter, Reagan, H.W. Bush, Clinton and Obama all mounted military interventions without approvals . . . and in fact, 43 of 46 presidents have employed military force without congressional declarations.

The omission of this critical perspective provides additional evidence of mainstream media’s consistent attempts to discredit opposition to Islamist imperialism and especially President Trump’s —and Israel’s—efforts to do so. Instead of praise for the Administration’s bold, thorough and precise surgical dismantling of Iran’s global terror organization and its murderous oppression of 90 million Iranians, the media harshly condemn Mr. Trump for similar actions to Mr. Obama’s, which they lauded.

In point of fact, the “requirement” for a congressional declaration or approval of war is far from absolute, either legally or historically. What constitutes “war” is not always clear cut, nor is the latitude given to our Commander in Chief in matters of military intervention according to the constitution. While an argument could legitimately be raised for Congress to provide greater clarity on these issues, the rush to condemn Trump in this case is clearly motivated by a political—not a legal—objective.

Rather, the recent “news” coverage of the successful U.S.-Israel attacks on arch-enemy Iran falls cleanly into line with media efforts to consistently oppose nearly all Trump’s foreign policy initiatives, as well as Israel’s war against Palestinian terrorists. It seems there’s never a blow struck against global jihad that legacy media don’t denounce.

A declaration of war isn’t required for the President to undertake military action. In fact, since World War II, no president has secured a formal declaration of war, yet many have initiated major military actions. For instance, in 2011, President Barack Obama authorized U.S. military intervention in Libya to assist rebel forces trying to overthrow dictator Muammar Ghaddafi. In his first term, President Trump struck Syrian airbases, ordered the 2020 killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, and bombed Yemen. President Joe Biden also authorized airstrikes on Syria and Yemen. All of these military actions were taken without declarations of war.

Mainstream media condemn Trump, but praised Obama. Indeed, after Trump initiated military action against Iran, legacy media headlines questioned the legality of his actions. The New York Times, for example, issued the headline, “Trump’s Unilateral Iran Strike Sparks Constitutional War Powers Dispute,” accusing the President of starting a war without authorization. Similarly, a CNN headline read, “Are Trump’s strikes against Iran legal? Experts are skeptical,” while a headline in the Guardian proclaimed, “US lawmakers condemn Trump over Iran strikes: ‘acts of war unauthorized by Congress‘.”

In contrast, when Obama intervened in Libya, mainstream media sung his praises. Roger Cohen in the Times wrote that he tweeted ‘Bravo Obama’ and described his actions as “smart policy in Libya.” At CNN, authors David Gergen and Michael Zuckerman also lauded Obama, writing, “Obama’s gamble on Libya (derided by critics quoting the characterization of ‘leading from behind’) certainly seems to be paying off as well,” while a report by NPR described the intervention as delivering a rare foreign-policy win for Obama after months of criticism. Legacy media’s praise of Obama and vilification of Trump, both of whom launched military actions without a declaration of war, suggests an inherent bias.

Targeted actions are the President’s prerogative. Trump’s strikes on Iran align with longstanding presidential practice, in which chief executives have initiated military actions without prior congressional authorization when national security interests are at stake. Mr. Trump asserts, reasonably, that Iran presents a clear, imminent threat to national security interests, since the Islamic Republic is on the cusp of being able to create a nuclear weapon. Indeed, the Institute for Science and International Security noted in a February 20^th analysis that Iran’s pre-war uranium stocks alone allowed weapons-grade uranium for one device in a few days. Yet, mainstream media give Trump little-to-no credit for decisively addressing Iran’s imminent threat to U.S. national security.

By contrast, President Obama justified his decision to intervene in Libya in 2011 on humanitarian grounds, citing the need to prevent an imminent massacre of civilians by Muammar Gaddafi’s forces. In other words, he didn’t act to preserve national security interests. Yet, mainstream media heaped praise on him rather than accuse him for overstepping his constitutional authority. Again, we see a clear double standard on the part of legacy media.

Mainstream media show consistent opposition to U.S. and Israeli anti-jihad efforts. In the New York Times, CNN, NPR and the Associated Press, among others, we see consistently biased coverage of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. They depict the Jewish state not as a democracy waging a defensive war to eliminate the existential threat that Hamas poses, but as a ruthless aggressor bent on quashing any Palestinian hopes of self-determination. This depiction explains the outright lies against Israel that have characterized war reporting in Gaza—false accusations of genocide, war crimes and starvation tactics.

Similarly, mainstream media depict President Trump’s actions in Iran not as the actions of a courageous leader acting boldly to secure America’s vital national interests—not as help to the Iranian people to overthrow murderous Islamist rulers—but rather as a president acting above the law, against the will of the American people—with contempt for America’s democratic institutions. By comparison with media treatment of past presidents making similar decisions, this is not objective news reporting or even-handed analysis—it’s blatant partisan “resistance.”

Please make the point when speaking with family, friends, colleagues—or in letters to the editor—that by condemning efforts by President Trump and Israel to rid the world of Islamic jihadism, mainstream media demonstrate a corrupt bias that undermines American interests. Indeed, legacy media project such unvarnished disdain toward Trump—as well as the Jewish state—that they refuse to support any action on behalf of either, even when such actions serve American interests, as they do now.

If you agree we need to spread this truth, please use your email browser to forward this Hotline issue to fellow lovers of Israel—and encourage them to join us by subscribing to the Hotline at no charge.

Best regards,
James Sinkinson, President
Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME)

P.S.      Surely you’ve recently read of some celebrity, politician, radical student, foreign head of state or media pundit slander Israel with the “Gaza genocide” lie. Many who spread this lie are ignorant, but most are anti-Israel haters. They care nothing for the truth. The tragedy is, when they utter the Gaza genocide falsehood, too few knowledgeable people—and virtually no media—stand up to refute it. Indeed, when you share the simple facts, the genocide lie crumbles. Upon learning that Israel conducts its war against Hamas terrorists with the highest ethical standards—and that nothing Israel does in Gaza fits the definition of genocide—fair-minded people quickly see through the lie. I hope you’ll agree that we supporters of the Israel-U.S. relationship need to speak out. FLAME’s new hasbarah—explanatory message—“Facts Shatter Gaza Genocide Lies”—describes what genocide is and is not and proves factually that Israel’s tactics in the war are ethical and righteous. It also reveals demographic data showing that the Palestinian population in Gaza is actually increasing. Finally, it notes that those who spread the Gaza genocide lie fit the classic definition of antisemites. Please review this convincing, fact-based editorial, which FLAME is about to publish to millions—in leading social media, as well as in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Tampa Bay Times, Denver Post and Los Angeles Times. This piece will also be sent to all members of Congress, the President and Vice President. If you agree that this kind of public relations effort on Israel’s behalf is critical, I urge you to support us with a donation.