{"id":6513,"date":"2026-03-27T17:06:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T15:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jonathan-cook.net\/blog\/?p=6513"},"modified":"2026-03-28T03:24:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T01:24:45","slug":"tail-wag-dog-bigger-picture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jonathan-cook.net\/blog\/2026-03-27\/tail-wag-dog-bigger-picture\/","title":{"rendered":"Does the tail wag the dog? How both sides are missing the bigger picture"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Binary thinking in the argument over whether the US or Israel is driving the illegal war on Iran obscures far more than it illuminates. The truth is the dog and the tail are wagging each other<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The joint US-Israeli war on Iran has thrust back into the spotlight a divisive debate about whether the dog wags the tail, or the tail wags the dog. Who is in charge of this war: Israel or the United States?<\/p>\n

One side believes Israel lured Trump into a trap from which he cannot extricate himself. The tail is wagging the dog.<\/p>\n

The other believes that the US, as the world\u2019s sole military super-power, is the one that writes the geo-strategic script. If Israel acts, it is only because it serves Washington\u2019s interests as well. The dog is wagging the tail.<\/p>\n

Certainly, the idea that the tail, the client state of Israel, could be wagging the dog, the military juggernaut that is the US, seems, at best, counter-intuitive.<\/p>\n

But then again, there is plenty of evidence that suggests advocates for the tail wagging the dog scenario may have a case.<\/p>\n

They can point to the fact that Trump launched this war of choice on Iran despite winning the presidency on an \u201cAmerica First\u201d platform in which he promised<\/a>: \u201cI\u2019m not going to start a war. I\u2019m going to stop wars.\u201d<\/p>\n

His secretary of state, Marco Rubio, openly stated<\/a> that the administration was rushed into war, finding itself apparently unable to restrain Israel from attacking Iran.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Kent, Trump\u2019s top counter-terrorism official, noted<\/a> in his resignation letter that the administration \u201cstarted this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby\u201d.<\/p>\n

Addressing the Israeli parliament last October, Trump appeared to confess to being under the thumb of the Israel lobby. As he praised himself for moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the illegally occupied city of Jerusalem, he repeatedly pointed to his most influential donor, the Israeli-American billionaire Miriam Adelson, before observing: \u201cI actually asked her once, I said, \u2018So, Miriam, I know you love Israel. What do you love more, the United States or Israel?\u2019 She refused to answer. That means, that might mean, Israel, I must say.\u201d<\/p>\n

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NEW: Trump praises Israel First billionaire Miriam Adelson during his speech at the Knesset<\/p>\n

“I’m gonna get her in trouble with this, but I actually asked her once, I said, \u2018So Miriam, I know you love Israel. What do you love more, the United States or Israel? She refused to\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/PFZqZIoxht<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Decensored News (@decensorednews) October 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n