As I said when the deal was first presented to Congress: It is crucial to understand its full ramifications, looking at the immediate and long-term security of the United States, of Israel and of our other allies, and the likely effectiveness and enforceability of the agreement in preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear weapon state.
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PH: I doubt very much there is going to be war. I think partly what’s happened is that Obama has lost patience with Netanyahu.
“The prime minister is leading a campaign against the United States as if we were equals, and that is liable to hurt Israel“, he said.
The Republicans are a different story.
A bipartisan group of more than 50 military leaders and national security advisers (including Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski) signed a letter supporting the deal and urging Congress not to “take steps which would destroy the negotiations”.
Gillibrand’s support puts her at odds with some of her fellow New York Democrats who have expressed misgivings over the deal.
The families of those killed directly or indirectly had filed federal lawsuit to stop frozen assets, to which they have a legitimate claim, from being released to the Islamic Republic.
The Ministers further recognised that if the E3/EU+3 and Iran follow through on the JCPOA, the global community will be able to resolve this significant worldwide security challenge, and to do so peacefully. It’s Netanyahu who is calling the shots for AIPAC not Israeli generals.
A larger number of Democrats have declared their support for the deal, among them Jews who hold leadership positions or are veterans in Congress: California Sen.
PH: The Republican approach is one where they want to have all of their demands met and give nothing to Iran.
The Democratic Senator said that the deal was an improvement on the current state of affairs. The opposite is also true.
Conn Hallinan: I was a little surprised.
I worked at AIPAC back in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
I have deep reservations and concerns about some of the wider ramifications of this deal, and I continue to ask myself if the agreement can accomplish what we hope.
I left AIPAC on good terms with the organization. The fact is that Obama is a lame duck president and he will be out in another year. When Chuck Schumer makes his statement declaring his opposition to or even support for (it’s possible) the Iran deal while invoking Israel Israel, Israel, it undermines our standing as Americans. In a speech at American University on Wednesday, he said opponents of the deal with Iran are making a dangerously familiar argument.
Inspections? Everyone now knows that “anytime, anywhere” – indispensable for a clandestine program in a country twice the size of Texas with a long history of hiding and cheating – has been changed to “You’ve got 24 days and then we’re coming in for a surprise visit”. We are Americans, unhyphenated Americans.
Senators are called upon to cast many important votes.
“You are the Great Satan”, the Israeli prime minister said.
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Israel is now the strongest country in the Middle East – and not just because of its defense capabilities, but also thanks to its originality and creativity in the fields of science, technology and intelligence, which are unparalleled all over the world.
