Shifting Responsibility

Oped by Efraim Halevy

Published August 6, 2015 in Yedioth Ahronoth, p. 28 (Hebrew edition), translation by Israel News Today (INT)

The question that has been in the air ever since Prime Minister Netanyahu began his efforts to cancel the nuclear agreement with Iran has been answered: if the US drops out of the agreement, the agreement will be completely canceled. This means that Iran will be free to resume its nuclear activity—the installation in Arak, for example, which is supposed to be completely neutralized according to the agreement, will resume its plutonium track in tandem with its enrichment track. Moreover, the international sanctions regime will collapse and only the US will continue to impose them while Russia and China will resume supplying weapons to Iran full steam and Moscow will again be able to help build the Iranian anti-missile systems as it did in the past. This will be the immediate and tangible cost. And there will be more to come.

1. Bills & Resolutions
2. Hearings
3. Members on the Record

NOTE: APN has extensive resources on the Iran deal here, including:

- Our regularly updated list of Members of Congress who have committed publicly to support the deal when Congress votes on it in the coming weeks
- Our compendium of comments from Israeli security and nuclear experts in support of the deal
- Our constantly updated collection of the best analysis and commentary on the deal

Also note: Congress is now in recess until Sept 8 (yippee!), which means the Round-Up is also in recess until then.  See you next month!

Last week, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) – prominent Jewish members of Congress – announced they will oppose the deal negotiated between Iran and the P5+1 (China, France, Germany Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States) to curb Iran’s nuclear program.  Earlier in the week, two other leading Jewish members of Congress, Reps. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), did likewise. All of these members of Congress should reconsider this misguided, flawed position.

Channel 10 News (2015)
Reports on Honenu, a tax-exempt organization that provides legal aid to Israeli Jews indicted for terrorism. Reveals that the individuals convicted of terrorism and their families also receive funds. (7:01) Watch >

Since the JCPOA was signed on July 14, a variety of group statements have been issued, including from veteran national security leaders, retired top military officials, scientists and nuclear experts, etc. The most important of these letters are included below.

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9/2: A bipartisan group of former Members of Congress issue a letter in support of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and urge bipartisanship in Congress in supporting the agreement.

8/31: 74 Prominent Iranians Urge Congress to Support Nuclear Deal with Iran

8/31:  Growing List of U.S. Rabbis (440 and counting) Urge Congress to Support Nuclear Deal with Iran

8/31: 71 Former Senators and Representatives Urge Congress to Support the Iran Nuclear Agreement (text of statement here)

8/29: Majority of DNC Delegates Sign Letter to Obama in Support of Iran Deal

8/27: 70 national organizations (including APN)  Implore Congress to Support Iran Deal

8/27: 11 Jewish ex-lawmakers call on Congress to back Iran deal (text of New York Times ad is here)

8/27: Statement from 73 Middle East and International Relations Scholars -- The Nuclear Agreement with Iran: A Plus for Regional Stability

8/24: Letter from more than 50 Christian leaders supporting the Iran deal (Politico article here)

8/20: 26 Former Jewish Leaders Call on Congress to Approve Iran Deal (text of and full list of signers is here)

8/17: Statement from 75 Nuclear non-proliferation specialists in support of the Iran deal

8/16: 340 Rabbis Urge Congress to Support Nuclear Deal with Iran

8/14: Former Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Richard Lugar, R-IN) and former chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (J. Bennett Johnston, D-LA) publish op-ed disagreeing the Schumer's opposition to Iran deal

8/13: Longtime Former Chair/Ranking Members of Senate Armed Services Committee (Carl Levin, D-MI & John Warner, R-VA) publish op-ed in support of Iran deal

8/12: 98 Prominent Hollywood Jews Back Iran Nuclear Deal in Open Letter (including text of letter & list of signers)

8/11: Dozens of retired generals, admirals back Iran nuclear deal -- Text of letter here

8/8: 29 U.S. Scientists Praise Iran Nuclear Deal in Letter to Obama -- Text of letter is here (# of signers as of 8/12/15 is 32).

8/3: US Steelworkers (USW) Voices Support of Proposed Nuclear Agreement with Iran

7/27: Letter to Congressional Leadership from Former Under Secretaries of State and former American Ambassadors to Israel on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action

7/24: European Leadership Network members express support for the Iran nuclear agreement - Group statement signed by over 70 members

7/22: U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Urges Congress to Support Iran Deal

7/20: Statement by 60 National Security Leaders on the Announcement of a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action

7/17: Letter to the President from over 100 former American Ambassadors on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s Nuclear Program