Everyone involved in the Iran congressional debate agrees that the Iranian nuclear threat should be curtailed. The question is how. Obama and the rest of the world clearly believe that the painstaking diplomatic efforts backed up by all sorts of military, nuclear and scientific support in reaching the final Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, (JCPA) is the best shot. Bibi Netanyahu, under daily genocidal threats from the Ayatollah, doesn’t. To a certain extent where one comes down depends on the context that the debate is framed. (Blog: The Great Iranian Debate Divide).
Broadly speaking there are those that believe that Iran is such an existential threat that negotiations themselves represent “selling out” to the theocracy. At the other end of the spectrum there are those who argue that the alternative to the JCPA is war. While Jay H. Ell is of the opinion that the deal is a mistake and has repeatedly blogged that Obama is misguided in his judgement on this issue, (Blog: Why the Iranian Deal), the politics and vitriolic rhetoric that have accompanied the debate as to whether the United States Congress should accept or reject the plan of action is quiet frankly dangerous, over the top and counterproductive.
CONSENSUS THAT THIS IS A DONE DEAL
At the end of the day it is agreed that whenever there is evidence that Iran is on the nuclear path the sites will be bombed to smithereens. That much is obvious and is inherent in Obama’s policy as well as how else could you explain his bombast that the alternative to no understanding is to go to war. So there is consensus on what would happen to Iranian nuclear facilities should there be evidence or intelligence that they are in the nuclear weapon way. All this should to a certain extent reassure the opponents of the plan, but needless to say it doesn’t.
At the end of the day, too, this accord will survive and Congress will not override a Presidential veto. Jay H. Ell has blogged that the GOP really support it and if any further indication is needed as to their real attitude it was provided by their Senate leader, Mitch McConnell. At a speech to a Chamber of Commerce in Kentucky he confided that, “The President had every likelihood of success”. He further hoped for a “Respectful uplifting debate”. Not the fighting words expected to garner support to overturn a presidential veto. McConnell knows and wants this to be a done deal. The world is behind it and it cannot be undone. Over ninety percent of the American, military, nuclear and security experts agree that the nuclear agreement should be signed. McConnell can still have it both ways knock Obama and not have to take the responsibility of kiboshing the accord and then have to take the flack if it all turns sour.
Also the American electorate, in general, favor the plan by 2 to 1 according to the latest WashingtonPost/ABC poll. Even moderates and Independents are 60 percent onsides while Republicans are equally divided. Not that it is that important to the broad mass of the electorate who rate Foreign Affairs low down on the totem poll.
So on the crucial issues - curtail the nuclear threat, if Iran sets on the path of creating a nuclear weapon it will be bombed and that the JCPA is a done deal - there is very little congressional dispute - it is all just for the record. The electorate are generally disinterested but when polled favor it. So why the hysteria and unprecedented lobbying on both sides? Also there are accusations flying around that Obama is genocidal sending the Jews to the oven and more recently that he is invoking the notorious anti semitic Protocols of Zion.
The climate is being created that anyone for the agreement is an anti semite. This is lunacy and can only help the true anti semites who would be only to happy to welcome former Israeli Generals and security personnel as well as their American counterparts into their ranks. On the other hand Obama creating this as a test of loyalty to him and pressuring the Democrats off the charts is overkill as well.
NETANYAHU AND CONFLICTING JEWISH OPINION
While there is plenty of blame to go around Prime Minister Netanyahu has worked hard at being able to claim the number one spot in creating this hysteria. In an unprecedented intervention into another country’s internal affairs he connived with the Republicans to attack the “bad deal” that hadn’t even been announced yet. The argument that Churchill did the same is poppycock. While it is trite to say that Bibi is no Churchill, the real issue is that the British Bulldog did not come to Congress to oppose the Administration. He rather argued that the UK and the US had common cause to engage a common enemy that threatened our civilization and way of life .The GOP gleefully aided and abetted Bibi in his impertinence and then forty - seven GOP Senators followed up by sending a letter to the Ayatollah Khamenei, treasonously stabbing their own President in his back by telling the mad Mullah that Obama had no final say in the matter. The Ayatollah for once interpreted the missive correctly pointing out that the letter reflected the deceit and dysfunction of the American political system.
King Netanyahu has not let up, not satisfied at making Israel a partisan issue in the US Congress and socking one to his nemesis Obama he has carried on as if the Jews in America and the rest of the world are part of his constituency and owe him undying loyalty. This when most of the Israelis don’t afford him blind loyalty so why he should expect it from the diaspora hebrews only he knows? In the wake of Congress’s upcoming vote on the matter he has implored the Jews of America, whom he claims to represent, to canvas and lobby against the deal. Three hundred and forty rabbis defied him and urged Congress to accept the deal. Twenty five Jewish Organization leaders urged acceptance in a full page advertisement in the New York Times. Doubtless there are another three hundred and forty rabbis that are against it that will surface very soon in the company of twenty five Jewish Organization leaders that are for it. But so what?
Now there are a plethora of lobbies in America including a number involved in “Jewish” issues. Chief among these are AIPAC and J Street. The former lobbying for the axing of the pact and the latter are for it. As a matter of a fact there are several other groups lobbying including The Center For American Progress and Plough Shear and the Black Churches to name a few.
While Orthodox Jewry and the more influential Jewish lobbies are against the understanding, polls show that a majority of those who regard themselves as “Jewish” are in favor of the accord. Netanyahu has focussed attention on the Jews instructing them to not make a decision on its merits but rather to do so for what he defines as being in the Jews best interests. Implicit in that argument is if you don’t you follow Netanyahu you are betraying Israel and the Jews in general.
Netanyahu’s own retired top army brass and security intelligentsia are not ad idem with the Likud Prime Minister. Forty seven of the latter wrote to him urging him to support it. These included a Former Chief of Intelligence and Chief of the Israeli Security Agency, Scores of admirals and generals, the lead scientist at the Dimona Nuclear Reactor and members of Mossad joined in. An unprecedented position paper, entitled IDF strategy, published by the Israeli Defense Force and authored by its Chief of Staff Lt. General Eiskenot barely mentions Iran. This missive surfacing at this time is being interpreted by Israeli cognoscenti as a not so subtle message from the military to Netanyahu that they disagree with him on Iran. (For what its worth Jay H. Ell disagrees with these military and security personnel because he sees the JCPA in a much broader context).
The question still remains for those that are screaming that supporters of the Iran deal are anti semites as to whether they include most of the Israeli military and security establishment and the majority of jews in America?
IRANIANS AND THE DEAL
The Iranians could do all these activists a big favor by nixing the agreement themselves. The Iranian parliament has solemnly given themselves 60 days to decide. Not that they really have any say at the end of the day but let them have fun. The Ayatollah has irreversible veto power. You cannot override his veto and live. Now it has been published by some guy who is said to be very close to the head Mullah that he is not happy with the pact. Khamenei refuses to even call it an agreement he only dignifies it with the term “text”. He stated that it has to be scrutinized through legal channels. One wonders what they have been doing for the past few years while the “text” was being negotiated and agreed upon. Then from Iran there are the regular outpourings of disgust at the American process ,the objections to the alleged insults to the Iranian people coupled with reassurances from Khamenei downwards that the Iranian Revolution will still continue, that is code for death to America and Israel. Incidentally other than the latter statement Jay H. Ell does not believe a word they say - all cultural he supposes as he has been told they just talk in hyperbole and mean the opposite of what they say .
STOP IT!
It is time to hone down the rhetoric and stop defining this as The Dreyfus Trial or Kristallnaght. Someone needs to get a sense of proportion. This is about a tactic to control a common threat to nearly all of the world, including the Sunni Muslims. (Blog: Iran - Not About Trust But About Avoiding War). It has been acknowledged by all concerned that with or without the deal the Iranians will still scream death to America and Israel. One has to believe that Netanyahu and Obama’s personal animus has plenty to do with this. Jay H. Ell already fears that the damage has been done. Is AIPAC or J Street trying to prove the anti semites right that the Zionists control the world? Mercifully not too many people in America are taking too much notice of the protagonists in this unseemly fight, both of whom claim it will be armageddon that will herald the end of the world if the other side triumphs. Just as well everyone around here is watching the Donald Trump reality show. The Donald is one of the apprentice contestants for President and in passing has mentioned that he is against the agreement. His priority however is deporting eleven million aliens, stopping the legals sending money home and changing the constitution so as to create more aliens to deport. He does acknowledge that if he becomes President it would be too late to reverse the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Maybe everyone should just listen to Mitch McConnell and have a "Respectful uplifting debate".
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