LinkedIn on Tuesday, May 12, 2026

It’s called “Mutually Assured Destruction” or “MAD” for short.  It’s the principle that, if our enemy has them, we need to have them too.

No matter what you think of the government of Iran, if you were them, would you give up the development of your own nuclear weapons as long as Israel already has nuclear weapons?

Would we give up ours and let Russia, China and North Korea keep theirs?

Israel needs to have the courage and common sense to commit to giving up its nuclear weapons in order for Iran to feel comfortable doing the same – and for the hope of peace in the Middle East to become a reality.

We need to tell Israel to give up its nuclear arsenal – and then demonstrate the leadership, with our allies, to manage a peace in the Middle East that substitutes economic development and mutual prosperity for war and terrorism. Do that and capitalism will eventually set the people of Iran free without the need to fire a single shot.

-Les Cohen