Turns out that simply saying “don’t” is not an effective deterrent against genocidal regimes hellbent on the destruction of Israel—and the United States. On October 18, 2023, merely 11 days after the Hamas-led massacre against Israel, President Joe Biden issued a warning to any state or hostile actor considering attacking Israel: “Don’t, don’t, don’t.” And yet, Israel has faced relentless bombardments from multiple Iranian proxies for the last six months. The ineffectiveness of Biden’s strategy was on full display again this past weekend, when the president issued a similar warning to Iran against striking Israel, this time with a single “don’t.” Predictably, this did nothing to halt the rogue state, which launched 300 drones and missiles at Israel late Saturday night. Almost all were intercepted, thanks to the combined efforts of Israel, the U.S., the U.K., France, and several Arab states.

The Biden administration’s response to this attack was not to commit to taking action against Iran but to caution Israel against retaliating. Reports have even surfaced that the administration informed Iran through Turkish intermediaries that its onslaught must be kept “within certain limits,” essentially acquiescing to moderated aggression. The notion that Israel should not retaliate against an Iranian missile strike, marking the first assault on Israel launched directly from Iran, is untenable for both Israelis and Americans.