Netanyahu Pressures Obama on Iran Nuke Deal

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright March 3, 2015
All Rights Reserved.

                Speaking to a joint session of Congress today, 65-year-old Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu received thunderous applause from a largely bipartisan audience, though receiving a hero’s welcome from the GOP.  Apart from House Speaker John Boehner’s Jan. 21 decision to invite Bibi without consulting the White House, Netanyahu’s reception could not have been more favorable.  Referring the P5+1, including the U.S., U.K., France, Russia, China and Germany, deal in the works in Geneva with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, Netanyahu warned it would be an unobstructed path to nuclear weapons.  “This deal won’t be a farewell to arms, it will be a farewell to arms control,” Netanyahu told Congress to a raucous ovation.  Netanyahu believes signing any deal that doesn’t stop Iran nuclear enrichment program is a sham.

             Negotiated by Zarif in Geneva with 70-year-old Secretary of State John Kerry, no one from the White House can explain why the Geneva deal doesn’t include the minimum requirement of open U.N. inspections by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA], proving the fake nature of the agreement.  Iran wants an arms deal to end U.S. and European Union sanctions but won’t agree to unfettered U.N. inspections of its nuclear sites.  Netanyahu mentioned nothing about the fact the deal required Russia’s signature—one of Iran’s major supplier of nuclear technology. After building Iran’s Bushehr plutonium nuclear plant Sept. 3, 2011, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed as deal Nov. 11, 2014 to build at least two more nuclear power plants in Iran.  After eviscerating Ukraine seizing Crimea March 1, 2014, Putin waits to ink a new Iranian nuke deal.

             Before Netanyahu spoke to Congress, President Barack Obama said Iran would have to agree to a minimum of a 10-year freeze on its “sensitive” nuclear enrichment activities.  Helping Netanyahu’s wishes for no agreement, Zarif rejected out-of-hand any such demands.  “Iran will not accept excessive and illogical demands,” said Zarif.  Netanyahu went to great pains to dismiss the idea of a 10-year moratorium, since it would eventually end, giving Iran free rein to develop nuclear weapons.  “Iran’s nuclear program can be rolled back well beyond the current proposal by insisting on a better deal and keeping up the pressure on very vulnerable regime, especially given the recent collapse of the price of oil,” said Netanayhu, forgetting the most basic element of any deal:  Unfettered U.N. inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites.  Signing any deal giving Russia more nuclear business in Iran is a mistake.

             Sitting in the House gallery was Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, sparking Netanyahu to promise “Never Again,” referring to the massacre before and during WWII of six-million European Jews.  “I wish I could promise you, Elie, that the lessons of history have been learned.  I can only urge the leaders of the world not to repeat the mistakes of the past,” said Bibi, knowing full well that Putin poses an ongoing threat to sovereignty and territorial integrity of post-Soviet era independent states.  Watching Putin dismember Ukraine and now enter into more nuclear deals with Iran should also send the Congress a wake up call.  While Netanyahu’s warning to Congress about Iran was the message du jour, it raises equally troubling issues about Moscow’s continued backing of rogue states and interference with the autonomy of U.N.-recognized governments.

             White House officials insist they didn’t want Netanyahu to rock the boat on its delicate Geneva negotiations with Iran.  If the White House hears anything from Netanyahu’s speech, it’s that appeasement doesn’t work, leading to history’s most gruesome events.  Netanyahu reminded the White House that Iran has much more to lose if the Geneva talks fail.  Threatening to walk out of Geneva, Zarif shows he can bluff with the best of them, hoping to win more concessions.  “Obama’s stance . .. is expressed in unacceptable and threatening phrases . . ,” said Zarif in Geneva, continuing the talks.  Iran denies that it’s working to enrich weapons grade uranium for a secret A-bomb program.  Netanyahu points out that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continues Ahmadinejad’s threats “to wipe Israel off the map,” offering no change in Iran’s rhetoric toward Israel.

             Unlike the White House, the Republican-dominated Congress treated Netanyahu as a true ally in the war on terror.  Since Sept. 11, former President George W. Bush broke off relations with Palestinians and became a seamless ally to Israel in fighting dangerous global terrorists.  Since taking office, Jan. 20, 2009, Obama returned to the pre-Sept. 11 mindset where the State Department would deal with Palestinian terrorists.   Obama forgot about Palestinians dancing in the streets after Sept. 11.  Netanyahu’s return to Congress reminded the White House how to treat the U.S.’s only true ally in the Middle East.   All the wasteful political rhetoric about Netanyahu’s speech made the White House and Democrats look petty and out of touch.  Netanyahu reminded everyone that Democrats and Republicans must get on the same page when it comes to national security—anything less is a disgrace.

About the Author 

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.


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