Congressman Jeff  Van Drew:

 

It’s not every day that you hear about people celebrating in the streets while bombs fall on their country. Yet that uncanny image is now ubiquitous in Iran, where the majority of citizens have welcomed the strikes against the regime that has oppressed them for decades. In a wide-ranging conversation with The Voice, President Trump’s closest ally in New Jersey, Congressman Jeff Van Drew, reflected on the war in Iran, what may come next, and the potential implications here at home.

At the onset of our conversation, I posed a question to Van Drew that captured the surreal nature of the moment unfolding in Iran. “Have you ever seen a country where people are out in the street celebrating when a foreign country is bombing them?” I asked.

Van Drew acknowledged the unusual situation and said it reflects how desperate many Iranians are for freedom after decades under an oppressive government.

Van Drew said the situation unfolding in Iran highlights why America’s founders placed such importance on protecting the right of citizens to bear arms. According to estimates, more than 80 percent of Iranians want the current regime gone, yet they have little ability to challenge it because ordinary citizens aren’t armed and have no equivalent to the Second Amendment. Without the ability to defend themselves or resist a repressive government, many Iranians remain trapped under the regime.

“The founders, in their wisdom, knew that it was important that people be independently armed,” Van Drew told The Voice. “They had seen what monarchies and dictatorships had done all over the world. Had the Iranian people possessed their own version of a Second Amendment, they might have achieved their freedom long ago.”

The congressman argued that widespread civilian ownership of firearms creates a fundamental barrier against tyranny. “If anybody wanted to completely dominate or take over the United States of America, one of the reasons it would be difficult is because so many people are armed,” he said. “They would fight that and oppose it. It makes a difference.”

Van Drew noted that authoritarian governments throughout history have often prioritized disarming their populations. “You saw it with the Nazis during the Holocaust. You see it in Russia. You see it in China,” he observed. “Repressive regimes want people disarmed because they do not want them to be able to strike back.”

In that context, recent trends in New Jersey are notable. According to the latest figures from the Attorney General’s office, more than 92,000 New Jersey residents have been approved for permits to carry a handgun since the US Supreme Court’s Bruen decision three years ago. Toms River currently has the highest number of approved concealed carry permits in the state, even surpassing Newark, New Jersey’s largest municipality.

When it comes to overall firearm ownership, not just carry permits, estimates suggest that approximately 14.7 percent to 20 percent of New Jersey households have a firearm. That remains significantly lower than the national average, where roughly 40 percent of households report owning a gun.

The congressman also emphasized that the Iranian people themselves shouldn’t be confused with the ruling regime. In fact, he recalled his own positive experiences with Iranian students while attending dental school.

“I remember when I went to dental school in North Jersey there were a lot of Iranians there,” he recalled. “What wonderful, intelligent, nice people they were. I developed friendships with them. The Iranian people are good people. The problem is the regime.”

With President Trump stating that the regime’s military capability has essentially been destroyed, I asked Congressman Jeff Van Drew what the next step might be in helping the unarmed Iranian people achieve freedom against the IRGC. Would the United States consider sending in troops?

“There is no appetite to put boots on the ground,” he remarked. “But Israel, the Kurds, and others could help lay the foundation for freedom so that the Iranian people can eventually move toward a better government.”

He also stressed the importance of eliminating any remaining weapons or nuclear materials that could threaten the region or the broader world.

“There are still materials there that need to be secured so nobody can get a hold of them and use them in a destructive way,” Van Drew explained. “That has to be done carefully with the countries around Iran.”

Another key issue we discussed was the potential threat of Iran activating sleeper cells inside the United States as retaliation, particularly individuals who may have entered during the years of lax border enforcement. While he couldn’t confirm any specific intelligence reports, Congressman Jeff Van Drew emphasized that the concern remains very real. President Trump has also indicated that authorities are keeping a very close eye on suspected sleeper cells within the country.

“For four years we had our borders open,” Van Drew noted. “Hundreds of people on the terror watch list were allowed into the United States. Millions of people entered, including criminals and people convicted of serious offenses.”

Despite these concerns, the congressman expressed confidence in the capabilities of American and Israeli intelligence services. He praised recent operations that targeted key terrorist leaders. “Our military has done an amazing job,” he said. “The Israeli military and intelligence services have been beyond amazing.”

One area of particular vulnerability is America’s infrastructure, especially the electrical power grid. Past investigations, including a widely discussed segment on 60 Minutes, have highlighted how a coordinated attack on a small number of key substations could disrupt power across large regions of the country.

Van Drew acknowledged the risks but said efforts are underway to strengthen America’s infrastructure.

“It is a concern, of course,” he said. “But the good news is that with this administration it’s now a focus to improve this. It’s not only the grid. It’s our bridges, our roads, our airports, everything.”

The congressman expressed frustration that, in his view, the nation had previously spent too much time on ideological disputes while neglecting critical systems that keep the country running.

“We should have the best grid, the most secure grid, the most advanced grid on the face of the earth,” he said. “We are America. What are we doing?”

Van Drew believes strengthening infrastructure and national security should be priorities shared across political lines.

“These should be the main goals of Republicans or Democrats,” he added. “National security and safety are not partisan issues.”

Van Drew also addressed the rise in incidents of antisemitism. “I sponsored one of the toughest resolutions against antisemitism in Congress,” he said. “It passed with overwhelming support because we need to send a clear message that this will not be tolerated.”

Reflecting on centuries of persecution against the Jewish People, Van Drew said the pattern of hatred is deeply troubling.

“From the Crusades to the pogroms to Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, it just keeps appearing,” he said. “We have to speak up. We have to speak loudly. Antisemitism is something we do not tolerate in the United States of America.”

As our conversation came to a close, I asked Congressman Jeff Van Drew to share a message with President Trump on behalf of our community in and around Lakewood, proudly known as one of the most pro-Trump communities in the United State: Thank you for standing with Israel and for confronting the regime in Iran that has fueled terrorism and the shedding of the blood of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. G-d should help you see this mission through and make certain that the regime is fully dismantled so that it can never again threaten America, Israel, or the free world.

On a personal note, as the world’s only Orthodox Iranian Jew in the media, I look forward to the day when I can visit Iran openly and proudly as a Jew. And who knows, perhaps even one day as the next United States ambassador to Iran. Until then, my Florsheim shoes are polished and ready.