Netanyahu says Iran nuclear deal ‘a bad mistake of historic proportions’
HERB KEINON/07/14/2015/The Iran nuclear accord hammered out in Vienna between the world powers and Tehran is a “historic mistake” for the world, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday. Netanyahu’s comments came at the start of a meeting with visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders. Netanyahu, who said that he would relate to the details of the accord at a latter time, said that it is the result of wanting to reach an agreement “at any price.”The prime minister said that the powers negotiating with Iran – the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany – made far reaching concessions on the areas meant to prevent Iran from ever being able to obtain nuclear arms. In addition, he said, Iran will receive “hundreds of billions of dollars” with which it will be able to fuel its terrorist activities and aggression in the region and around the world. “It is impossible to prevent an agreement when the negotiators are willing to make more and more concessions to those who chant ‘Death to America’ even during the negotiations,” he said. Netanyahu said that because the government knew that the desire to reach an agreement was greater than anything else, it never committed itself to prevent the accord. “We did commit ourselves to preventing Iran from arming with nuclear weapons, and in my eyes that commitment still stands,” he said.
The prime minister, coming under withering criticism from the opposition for what is being termed a colossal failure on his part to stop the agreement, called for Israel’s political leaders to put party politics aside and unite around a most fateful issue for Israel’s future and security.
US Jewish liberal group J Street hails Iran nuclear deal, warns Congress
JPOST.COM STAFF/07/14/2015/The liberal Jewish lobby J Street on Tuesday praised the agreement struck between the major world powers and Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
The lobby released a statement hailing the agreement as “meet[ing] the critical criteria for…a deal that verifiably blocks each of Iran’s pathways to a nuclear weapon.”“We congratulate President Obama, Secretary Kerry and the other members of the P5+1 for having the resolve, determination, patience and persistence to bring such a difficult negotiation to a successful conclusion,” J Street said in a statement. The group warned Congress not to reject the agreement for fear of “the likely consequences – a collapse of diplomacy and international sanctions as Iran pushes forward with a nuclear program unimpeded.” “Following our own review of the agreement, we expect to call on Congress to support the deal as the best – if not only – means of ensuring that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons,” J Street said.
