High Holy Days focus debate on the Iran deal

Posted

With the Jewish High Holy Days upon us, Jewish congregations and their leaders will be taking a good look at President Obama’s Iran plan, and what it means not only for Israel but the U.S. as well.

Rabbi Mark Greenspan of the Oceanside Jewish Center said he plans to discuss the Iran deal over the holidays, “How can I not? But what I think is needed in the Jewish community these days is a more nuanced response to what is happening with Iran,” he explained, “I feel a bit like the rabbi in “Fiddler on the Roof”. To the two parties that disagreed with one another the rabbi says, “You’re right and you’re right!” and when his wife asks him how they both can be right he says, “You’re also right”.”

Senator Charles Schumer has criticized multiple parts of the deal, the lack of immediate inspections, and the need to get a majority vote from the eight members of the Joint Commission [Iran, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany, and the 28 member European Union [EU] voting as one] to conduct those inspections. Schumer noted that at such a vote Iran, China and the Soviet Union would probably vote no, which means the other three European nations and the EU would have to vote yes. He was also critical of the $50 billion dollars Iran would be receiving, plus additional trade, due to the removal of the current sanctions. Schumer questioned whether Iran could be trusted not to use that money to strengthen its military and aid terrorist groups. He doubted the efficacy of the so called “Snap-Back” provision, which would allow sanctions to be immediately reinstated, doubting other nations would reinstate sanctions once brisk trade was reestablished.

Congresswoman Kathleen Rice also disapproved of the “Snap-Back”. “The sanctions we imposed on Iran that proved successful were only successful over time,” she said, “In the event we catch Iran cheating, it will take years to recreate the economic pressure that we know influences their decision making.”

Page 1 / 3