Israel, Saudi Arabia ‘best allies we have’ in Middle East, Rosenberg explains in first TV interview for 'Enemies and Allies' launch

On day one of his book tour, Joel C. Rosenberg told a TV interviewer that Israel is America’s best ally in the Middle East, but that Saudi Arabia should be considered a solid ally as well.

Rosenberg criticized U.S. President Joe Biden for working harder to build ties with the terror masters in Tehran – notably new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi – than the moderates in Riyadh.

“Saudi Arabia is one of the best allies that we have,” Rosenberg told David Brody, host of The Water Cooler show. “And yet, President Biden has called Saudi Arabia a ‘pariah’ state. Yet [Biden] wants to make a deal with Iran, whose new president has murdered 30,000 Iranians. What in the world is going on in that White House?”

“If President Biden doesn't know how to deal with the Taliban, how is he going to stop Tehran from building nuclear weapons?” Rosenberg asked.

“The Taliban is using AK-47s and now American Blackhawks to kill. But the Iranian regime wants to build nuclear weapons and attach them to high-speed missiles. They could create a second Holocaust. And this is why Biden's failure of leadership is so catastrophic right now.”

Rosenberg, once a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump, described an Oval Office meeting in which he thanked Trump for all that he was accomplishing in the Middle East.

“Everyone told him [Trump] that he couldn't make peace in the Middle East. [But] he made peace with four Arab nations and Israel. Right? He deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. I don't think he's going to get it, but he deserves it, as does Netanyahu and the other leaders that made these Abraham Accords, peace treaties.”

“Trump was tough,” Rosenberg added. “He was tough on Iran. He ripped up that insane nuclear deal. He applied a ‘maximum pressure’ campaign against Iran. He took out Qassem Soleimani. He destroyed the caliphate. That was peace through strength. That was the Trump way.”

NEW: Joel Rosenberg on President Trump’s four Middle East Peace Deals: “He deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.” Watch the full interview as the best-selling author talks about his new book out today, “Enemies and Allies.” https://t.co/IIVJFOMAii @RealAmVoice @JoelCRosenberg pic.twitter.com/bYuNEQNRmN

— David Brody (@DBrodyReports) September 8, 2021

Here is a full transcript of the interview:

DAVID BRODY: Welcome back to the Water Cooler. We knew there'd be horror stories coming out of Afghanistan, and that’s exactly what’s happening now. The Taliban is being accused of murdering a pregnant Afghan policewoman in front of her family. This, according to the woman's son, but it's also been confirmed by local journalists to the town where it happened. The Taliban, of course, denies this and says they're going to launch an investigation. Yeah, right. "Law and Order: Taliban" — the new television series? Give me a colossal break. 

Let's get some more insight into the Taliban, Islam and Afghanistan with Joel Rosenberg, author of the new book that is out today – It's called "Enemies and Allies: An Unforgettable Journey inside the Fast Moving and immensely Turbulent, Modern Middle East." Joel, great to see you, sir, from Israel. 

ROSENBERG: Great to be with you, David. Thank you so much – actually I’m in Washington today for the book launch. But yes, the Middle East is experiencing a political earthquake right now as President Biden has surrendered to the forces of radical Islamism, and it’s rattling our allies and it's emboldening our enemies. 

BRODY: Well, let's talk about that. I want to get to the book fully in a moment. I want you to help us understand the Taliban mindset when it comes to their view of Islamic Sharia law, what do people need to understand about the Taliban? 

ROSENBERG: The Taliban is like most radical Islamist terror movements. There’s not really a significant difference between the Taliban, al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah and ISIS. It's like walking into a Baskin-Robbins shop and saying, yes, there are 57 different flavors. But basically, they're all cold and they're sugary. You know, these are radical Islamists. Radical Islam is briefly defined as Muslims who desire to use violence to achieve political or religious objectives. They are terrorists. There's no other way to put it. And President Biden does not understand the threat of radical Islam, and he's putting the lives of Americans and our allies in grave danger. 

BRODY: There's a lot to unpack. I don't want to get into Shia versus Sunni because that will take us into, you know, an hour and a half discussion. But Iran is a nemesis to everyone in the region. How do they factor in here at all? 

ROSENBERG: Here’s the simple version, David. If President Biden doesn't know how to deal with the Taliban, how is he going to stop Tehran from building nuclear weapons? Yes, there are differences between Shia and Sunni. But the bottom line is the Taliban is using AK-47s and now American Blackhawks to kill. But the Iranian regime wants to build nuclear weapons and attach them to high-speed missiles. They could create a second Holocaust. And this is why Biden's failure of leadership is so catastrophic right now. 

BRODY: Before we get to the book, one last question on Sharia law – how serious is this? I know the Taliban take it very seriously. They're going to govern by Sharia law – that would scare the bejesus out of a lot of folks. 

ROSENBERG: Bejesus is an interesting term to use in the context of Islam. But yes, look, there's a fundamentalist, extremist, violent version of Sharia. You know, I'm opposed to Sharia, generally. I'm a Jewish follower of Jesus Christ and I live in Israel. But these fundamentalist, extremist groups basically want to create a tyranny in which nobody else is allowed to practice their faith. And in the Taliban's case, you can't listen to music. You can't walk down the street holding hands with your wife. It is a seventh century version of extremism and barbarism. 

BRODY: Fair enough. Ok, so in your new book, you really do go behind the scenes. You talk to the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and to many more folks. Tell us why you decided to write this book. This is nonfiction. This is not fiction, folks. This is nonfiction. 

ROSENBERG: There literally isn't another book that has been published – or even that's pending, David – in which the author has spent hours and hours and hours with nearly all of the major decision-makers and world leaders from the prime minister of Israel to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and most of the other Arab nations. I'm the first one that got the opportunity. There have been multiple books written about the Saudi crown prince. The reporters who wrote those books had never met him, much less spent hours on the record with him. And that's what makes "Enemies and Allies" unique. And I think in this context – in which Biden is surrendering to the forces of radical Islam – it makes it an important read as well. 

BRODY: Well, talk to us a little bit about the Trump administration, some of the interviews you did, what you gleaned from all of that and what he did during his time as president and kind of juxtapose that as to what Biden is now doing. 

ROSENBERG: Well, I'll be honest with you, David – you know, because we've talked about it. I had been a “Never Trumper” back in 2016. But when I sat in the Oval Office to meet with President Trump, I admitted that. But I also told him that I'd been wrong. Everyone told him he couldn't make peace in the Middle East. He made peace with four Arab nations and Israel. Right? He deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. I don't think he's going to get it, but he deserves it, as does Netanyahu and the other leaders that made these Abraham Accords, peace treaties. But also, Trump was tough. He was tough on Iran. He ripped up that insane nuclear deal. He applied a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. He took out Qassem Soleimani. He destroyed the caliphate. That was peace through strength. That was the Trump way. Biden's way is appeasement. And we're seeing the catastrophic result of the difference between these two men. 

BRODY: Joel, when you talk “appeasement” in the countries in the Middle East, they see weakness. I'm assuming that is a major problem when you project weakness, especially in Islamic countries. 

ROSENBERG: That's right. It goes back to your last question, David, and I explain it in "Enemies and Allies." And that is when you've got a forceful, strong president like President Trump, even though he was a novice in foreign policy, he was tough. He was strong, and he was getting results. And our enemies feared us and our allies trusted us. Biden has 50 years of experience, supposedly, in foreign policy. And yet our enemies are emboldened and our allies are rattled. And that is not the way you want to conduct U.S. foreign policy in such a dangerous world like this. 

BRODY: As we wrap up here, Joel, you say, "Enemies and Allies" – not to go through every single country, but who's at the top of some of those lists? I mean, obviously, Iran is an enemy. But an enemy of who exactly – the United States and Israel? What about allies? I mean, help us with Saudi Arabia here. 

ROSENBERG: Sure. So, the short version – it’s  not just that Iran's leadership is a threat to the United States and Israel and our Sunni Arab allies. That's true. But Iran is also building alliances with Russia, Turkey, China and North Korea. That makes Iran even more dangerous. Our allies are clearly Israel, but also the Sunni Arab states. Saudi Arabia is one of the best allies that we have. And yet, President Biden has called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” state, but wants to make a deal with Iran, whose new president has murdered 30,000 Iranians. What the world is going on in that White House?

BRODY: For sure. As we wrap up, tell people where they can get the book. I'm assuming wherever books are sold.

ROSENBERG: Absolutely – Amazon, Barnes & Noble, anywhere you like to get books. You certainly come to my website, www.JoelRosenberg.com. You can follow our news sites, ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS, where we're covering these issues day by day, minute by minute. 

BRODY: Alright, Joel Rosenberg, great things. Great to see you, my friend. 

ROSENBERG: Thank you, David. Great to be with you. 

BRODY: All right. And indeed, he's my friend. We had a chance to meet with the Vice President Mike Pence. That is in the book. He tells me that I'm in the book. Guess where I'm going in that book? I'm going right to my page. And you know what? You would do the same.

Order Rosenberg's book, "Enemies and Allies," here.