US Jews can support both Israel and the Iran deal
Ynetnews/Yael Patir/Published:09.17.15
Op-ed: After holding a serious, open discussion on the world powers’ nuclear agreement with Iran, America’s Jews clearly support President Obama’s stand and most Jewish Congress members will vote in favor of the agreement. Last week, the American House of Representatives began its discussions ahead of the vote on the Congress’ support for the world powers’ agreement with Iran to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The support of 41 Democratic senators guarantees that it will not only be impossible to overcome a presidential veto in favor of the agreement, but that there will likely be no need to impose the veto. The battle, therefore, has ended with a victory for President Barack Obama and his policy. The Jewish community in the United States has been at the center of the discussion on the agreement with Iran since the agreement was signed in Vienna, following the campaign led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the agreement and his attempt to gain the support of the community leaders and institutions. Netanyahu gave America’s Jews an alleged dichotomic choice between being loyal to Israel (in other words, opposing the agreement) and being loyal to the US president (in other words, supporting the agreement), but the Jewish community members did not fall into the trap. The Jewish community in the US held a serious, open discussion, filled with arguments from both sides, on the issue of the Iranian nuclear program, which is a fateful matter for Israel’s security. It’s a shame that such a discussion was not held in Israel. The following questions were asked – and answered – in the synagogues, community centers and around dinner tables across the US: Is an agreement better than no agreement? Does the agreement achieve the goal of neutralizing Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear bomb? Will the agreement have a moderating effect on the region? Will it contribute to the security of the US and Israel?
I am certain that both those who chose to support the agreement and those who chose to oppose it saw the security of Israel and the US before their eyes.
Netanyahu gave America’s Jews an alleged dichotomic choice between being loyal to Israel and being loyal to the US president . The result is that US Jews clearly support President Obama and the agreement. In the final count, most Jewish Congress members will vote in favor of the agreement. Public opinion polls point to a majority of supporters among the Jewish community, and the one of the expressions of support was a letter signed by 440 rabbis. In their support for the agreement, US Jews considered the professional opinion of hundreds of nuclear and national security experts, ambassadors and American public figures who also support the agreement. Some Israeli security experts and intelligence assessments see the agreement as positive as well and argue, unequivocally, that it is the best chance to stop the Iranian nuclear program and that it could have positive effects on the entire region, including deterring Iran from committing terror attacks for the purpose of intimidation.Finally, US Jews considered the criticism voiced by Israeli politicians against the prime minister’s destructive public interference in American politics. The ramifications of such meddling are more dangerous and destructive than the nuclear danger itself, as it could harm the core of Israel’s special relations with the US. One of the challenges created by the discussion on the Iranian nuclear agreement is the fact that the argument focuses on the political lines – in other words, between the two parties. However, the future of Israel’s relations with the US, it is crucial, however, to position the Jewish community which supports Israel on both sides of the American political map.
**Yael Patir is the director of the Israel Program at J Street.
We’ve got your back Bibi’
Yitzhak Benhorin/Published: 09.17.15/Ynetnews
The Middle East, Russia, and the US -Israel relationship played central roles in Thursday’s Republican candidate debate, with a strong show of support for the Jewish state. Washington – Eleven presidential candidates met on one stage on Thursday, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, in the second televised debate for the Republican party where Israel’s security turned into a key talking point. The second debate was similar to the first, largely characterized as 10 candidates vs. the frontrunner, Donald Trump, who has managed to capture the support of conservative voters, leading with over 30% in recent polls. The CNN debate was a battle for survival for some of the other candidates. Surprisingly enough, the three leading candidates going into the debate are not even politicians; Donald Trump the real estate mogul, Dr. Ben Carson the neurosurgeon, and HP’s former CEO Carly Fiorina.
These three hold a collective 51 percent of the vote according to recent polls. Fiorina, the only woman on the stage, seemingly outperformed her male peers during the debate. Among other major issues, the Iran deal and relations with Israel stood at the heart of the debate. Jeb Bush declared that, “We need to make sure that they have the most sophisticated weapons to send a signal to Iran that we have Israel’s back.” Senator Marco Rubio strengthened the sentiment and attacked President Barak Obama. “We have a president that is more respectful to the ayatollah in Iran than he is to the prime minister of Israel.”
Carly Fiorina, currently ranked third in the polls promised that, “On day one in the Oval Office, I will make two phone calls, the first to my good friend to Bibi Netanyahu.”Some of the candidates, led by Senator Ted Cruz, promised to cancel the nuclear deal with Iran on their first day in office. Governor John Kasich replied saying, “I think it’s a bad agreement, I would never have done it, but cancelling it would be playing to a crowd.”Senator Rand Paul replied stating that, he would not “cut it up without looking to see if whether or not Iran has complied.”On the issue of the Russian deployment to Syria, Trump warned that, ” Putin has absolutely no respect for President Obama. Zero. I will get along – I think – with Putin, and I will get along with others, and we will have a much more stable – stable world.”Senator Marco Rubio also answered the question saying, “He’s trying to reverse the fall of the Soviet Union, and exploiting a vacuum that this administration has left in the Middle East.”Carly Fiorina said that she would, “Immediately begin rebuilding the Sixth Fleet, begin rebuilding the missile defense program in Poland, and conduct regular, aggressive military exercises in the Baltic states.”Fiorina later “swung” at Trump, who didn’t know the difference between the Kurds and the Quds force in an interview last month, saying, “It is critically important that every one of us know General Suleimani’s name.”Israel mentioned 11 times. The candidates statements on Israeli-American relations played a central role in the debate, In addition to Fiorina’s comments about Netanyahu and Bush’s stern warning to Iran, Mike Huckabee also stated that, “This (the deal) threatens Israel immediately, this threatens the entire Middle East, but it threatens the United States of America. “And we can’t treat a nuclear Iranian government as they have sponsored terrorist groups, Hamas and Hezbollah, and they threaten the very essence of Western civilization.” Senator Ted Cruz also promised that when he enters office, “The American embassy in Israel will be in Jerusalem.”
