What's the Problem?

After taking note of an Israeli naval exercise in the Suez canal, Commentary's Jennifer Rubin draws a lesson:

Iran, contrary to the Clinton-Obama view, has become a motivating factor for Israel and the Arab states to leave aside the non-existent “peace process” and deal with something far more critical — an existential threat to the region. And once again, just as on the response to the Iranian uprising, America seems to be trailing or playing the role of a mute bystander, rather than leading the international response.

But why should America take the lead? We don't live in the Middle East. We don't live near Iran. It seems perfectly reasonable that the Arab states and Israel take the lead in managing the security affairs of their region while the U.S. stands offshore.