Iran's achievement of obtaining a nuclear weapon is not an option. The question is not if Iran will have a nuclear weapon, it is when.

This is not only about the survival of the state of Israel. This is about the preservation of Western religion and civilization and its most sacred and valued places.

Israel is the keeper and protector of not only the most holy sites of Judaism but of Catholicism as well. Israel protects these sites because they have a respect and belief in the freedom of religion, even within a Jewish state.

In fact, Israel is also the fiduciary of one of Islam's most sacred sights, the Dome of the Rock.

The Jews most holy sites in Israel include the four holy cities: Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberias, and Safed.

Jerusalem is the holiest city for Jews and is considered the "soul" and capital of the Jewish state. It has the Western Wall and the site of the second temple in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, on the Temple Mount.

Hebron houses the burial site of Adam and Eve as well the tombs of the Jewish patriarchs. The Bible states that Hebron was the capital of King David.

Tiberias is the place where the Jerusalem Talmud was written and was the center of rabbinical study in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Safed in 1492 became a holy city when Jews came there in mass after being expelled from Spain.

Catholicism's most holy sites in Israel include: 

• Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus
• Nazareth, the place where Jesus grew up and began his ministry
• Jerusalem, the city where the early church began, is home of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Stations of the Cross
• Golgotha, the place outside the wall of Old Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified

The most holy site of Islam is not located in the state of Israel. Their most holy sight is Mecca, (the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the Mosque Ka'ba), located in Saudi Arabia.

Radical Islamists including the president of Iran, have called for the destruction of Israel, and now Iran is building the instrumentalities to make good on those threats.

The most extreme Muslims have sought to destroy the sacred places of religion they deem unholy or inferior to Islam.

Radical Muslims have a history of destroying and desecrating religious sights of other religions:

• 1948: The Arab Legion captured the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, the site of numerous ancient synagogues and the Western Wall. After the capture, radical Muslims undertook to destroy, desecrate, and loot Jewish sites.
• 2001: Afghan Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Mohammad Omar issued a decree ordering the destruction of all statues in Afghanistan including all pre-Islamic figures. As a result, the Taliban destroyed many ancient relics including a priceless Buddha dating back 2,000 years.
• 2002: Palestinian Arab terrorists forced their way into the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. The terrorists occupied one of Catholicism's most holy sites for 38 days. They used priests and nuns as human shields while taunting the Israelis to attack. Israeli forces stormed the Church and freed the hostages without causing damage to the structure.

Radical Islamists know that if they destroy Israel not only do they destroy the Jewish state but they also wipe out forever the most holy sites of Judaism and Catholicism as well.

They know that our civility would prevent us from attacking their most holy site of Mecca, since the Saudis would stay neutral in any attack to prevent them from being destroyed.

Once the most holy sites of the Western World are wiped off the face of the earth they could never be replaced. Like Hitler, they are willing to sacrifice their people and treasure for religious zealotry and their ultimate and sick goals.

Now is the time to stop Iran. We cannot let them make good on their threats.

Not just for our own selfish interests but for the very survival of western religion, culture, and civilization.

Bradley A. Blakeman served as deputy assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001-04. He is currently a professor of politics and public policy at Georgetown University.