by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright April 3, 2015
All Rights Reserved.

                Working feverishly to complete a nuke deal with Iran, foreign ministers from the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, the so-called P5+1, worked overtime to put together the best deal possible to slow Iran’s possible work toward an A-bomb.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can’t stop jabbering about former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threatening to “wipe Israel off the map,” way back in Oct. 26, 2005.  No matter how much hot air Ahmadinejad spewed, Netanyahu’s fixation on a now retired Iranian hothead makes no sense.  When Ahmadinejad hosted a Holocaust deniers’ conference in Tehran Dec. 11, 2006, it sent Netanyahu into seizures, causing him to run his mouth ten years later.  After Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif agreed on a nuke deal April 2, Netanyahu can’t stop barking.

             While denouncing the deal before the U.S. Congress March 3, Netanyahu continues to reject the deal as paving the way to Iran’s A-bomb.  Forget about the renewed International Atomic Energy Agency inspections designed to monitor carefully Iran’s uranium enrichment activity.  “Everything we promised in the nuclear talks . . . we will remain loyal [to] and stand by our promises,” pledged 66-year-old Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, for whatever it’s worth.  Netanyahu does Israel no service continuing to whine about Lausanne’s imperfect but pragmatic deal staving off Iran’s nuclear military ambitions, if they even have any.  “The Cabinet is united in strongly opposing the proposed deal,” said Netanyahu, barking out more demands after the outlines of a final deal was reached April 2.  Instead of crying about spilled milk, Netanyahu should work quietly with the U.S. and his allies.

             Whatever Ahmandienjad said in the past, it’s not relevant to the current Iranian regime, despite hot air coming from conservative Iranian circles.  Netanyahu knows that Zarif was raked over the coals for looking too cozy with Kerry—or giving away the store in the 11th hour talks to nail down a nuke deal to satisfy all isides.  “Israel will not accept an agreement which allows a country that vow to annihilate us to develop nuclear weapons, period,” insisted Netanyahau, harking back to Ahmadinejad’s old rhetoric.  Neither Rouhani nor Zarif speak of “wiping Israel off the map,” yet Netanyahu continues to bring it up.  With Israel’s unconfirmed nuclear arsenal, it’s bizarre that Netanyahu continues to bring up Ahmadinejad’s old rhetoric, despite the obvious changes in tone from Tehran.  Iranian hardliners, led by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, continue to spew hot air.

             Netanyahu needs to sweep the old rhetoric into the dustbin and let the P5+1 nuke deal with Iran open doors for better relations.  Bending over backwards, Rouhani and Zarif desperately want Iran to come out of its dark ages since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.  Now fighting Saudi Arabia and a host of other Sunni countries, including Egypt, in Yemen, Iran looks to abide by the nuke deal to open doors to better relations.  With a devalued currency and punishing recession, Iran looks ahead to improved relations with international community.  Putting resources into Hezbollah and fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and trying to preserve Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, Iran’s watched its resources dwindle.  Signing on to the Lausanne nuclear pact helps Iran seek a brighter economic future.  Netanyahu’s negative comments do nothing to improve Israel’s national security.

             Unable to switch gears and see the new Iranian leadership, Netanyahu should zip it before he causes more PR damage to Israel.  Faced with a possible Palestinian challenge in the International Criminal Court, Netanyahu needs the U.S. veto on the Security Council to keep pressure on Palestinians for a two-state solution.  Netanyahu’s recent public remarks about opposing a two-state solution rankled U.S. officials, prompting White House to reassess its position on a Security Council brokered two-state solution.  Netanyahu hasn’t acknowledged that the Lausanne framework dramatically scales back Iran’s enrichment activity, stretching the “breakout time” to a bomb for years.  Demanding Iran recognize Israel’s right to exist has nothing to do with the Lausanne or, for that matter, nothing to do with Israel’s national security. Iran poses no greater threat to Israel than any other of its enemies.

             Netanyahu’s conservative friends in the U.S. Congress should help calm down the 65-year-old Israel leader.  Chirping about the Lausanne deal changes nothing other than making Israel look bad in world public opinion.  After working for more than 18 months to make a deal, Netanyahu should praise world leaders, especially Kerry, for nailing down an agreement delaying Iran’s uranium enrichment program.   Rouhani and Zarif want Iran to rejoin the world economic community, ending the crushing sanctions that have crippled the economy.  Netanyahu knows there’s no better way to assure Iran’s civilized behavior than making it accountable to the international community.  Expecting Iran to recognize Israel’s right to exist does nothing to improve Israel’s national security.  Whatever was said in the past, Netanyahu needs to park it at the door and let world powers create a better future.

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