Proposed Iran deal has Israelis on edge

Fearing for the safety of their country and Jews across the world, Israeli citizens are concerned about the proposed nuclear deal with Iran. “The Iran Deal is just simply whack,” said Nof Ayalon resident Sharon Slater, who believes the agreement is “crazy and insane.” A psychologist and volunteer paramedic, she has one son currently serving in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and another who recently finished his service as an officer. She cited safety and security concerns should the deal be approved that would give Iran nuclear capabilities.
The proposed deal agreed to in July by six world powers and Iran would regulate Iran’s nuclear efforts while lifting economic sanctions. Opponents of the deal, which include many Republicans in Congress, as well as Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Rep. Kathleen Rice (D- Garden City), who represents a majority of the Five Towns, pointed to flaws in the deal, including concerns regarding the inspection of nuclear plants as well as Iran’s record of human rights violations. The Republican-controlled Congress has until Sept. 17 to pass a resolution in opposition to the agreement, which President Obama has threatened to veto, should the resolution pass.
“I think it’s very good for the Iranians and people who want to destroy us,” said Ramot resident Alan Haber, an entrepreneur and former IDF reservist. He has one son on active duty in the IDF and one in the reserves. “The people in the Middle East are brought up learning how to negotiate — President Obama doesn’t have a clue on how to negotiate. It’s going to turn the Middle East and the whole world into a nuclear race to compete with Iran.”
Haber’s wife, Kaily, who works as a real estate manager, agrees. “It’s an amazing phenomenon that people are overlooking the obvious,” she said. “The Iranians are in the streets shouting ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel,’ and America is signing this agreement with them. It defies logic.”
As both an Israeli and son of Iranians, Efrat resident Gabi Snir is concerned about the possibility of a nuclear war. “They have just one goal — to kill us all,” said Snir, a real estate broker and IDF reservist, noting that Iran funds and supplies armaments to terrorist organizations, including Hamas in the Gaza Strip. “Everyone is afraid there will be a nuclear war and that’s Iran’s goal.”
Fearing for a war while trusting in God, Ramat Beit Shemesh resident Joan Appel, a cook in a girl’s seminary, immigrated to Israel a year ago from Lakewood, N.J. She opposes the deal. “I think Obama has shown his true colors and we have to trust in God at this point,” Appel said. “I’m worried there may end up being a war as a result of this deal.”
Yaffa Haber, Alan and Kaily’s daughter, is a Jerusalem resident and executive assistant at an international high-tech company. She is appalled at the world’s blind eye to Iran’s record of involvement in terrorism and history of human rights violations. “I’m amazed at how the world is so blind to the craziness of this deal,” she said. “In the end, the truth will come out, and someone will have to clean up this mess.”