Congress Needs to Vote on Any Iran Agreement
History has a way of repeating itself, as people have not internalized the lessons of history. In 1925 the Locarno Treaty was signed by Germany, Great Britain, Italy and France permanently demilitarizing the Rhine River Valley. In 1936 Hitler marched several battalions into the Rhine Valley and nothing was done.
In 1938, Neville Chamberlain declared “peace in our time” and gave away the Sudetenland to Hitler. Eleven months later in September, 1939 WW II started in Europe claiming over 40 million lives. Few lives would have been lost if the Locarno treaty had been enforced. A second chance was lost by not standing up in 1938.
Now our Administration has declared that Iran is not a terrorist state and Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization although their behavior has not changed. They are still the world’s largest sponsors of terror. The IAEA has said Iran is not cooperating with their investigation into their nuclear program and Secretary of State Kerry says there is no alternative to making a deal. Apparently a bad deal is better than no deal. The President’s statements and Kerry’s statements have telegraphed to Iran that the military option is off the table.
If Iran breaks a potential agreement what will we do? Is the military option off the table? In a short period of time Iran will have ICBMs that can place a nuclear bomb in the United States as easily as it can in Tel Aviv. We are the Big Satan. A year breakout period is too short to respond to in other than military means.
Also, anything but a permanent agreement stopping their nuclear program is as Bibi Netanyahu said a pathway to a nuclear bomb. The fact that the White House doesn’t want Congress to have a role in the approval process tells one that this is going to be a bad deal if it is signed. Thus, we must encourage Congress to approve the Menendez/Corker bill requiring Congressional review/approval of any agreement with Iran. Sanctions had brought Iran to the table and tougher sanctions potentially could get us the right agreement.
We also have a military option that as Israel has twice demonstrated does not require boots on the ground. There are risks, however, and there are the risks of inaction.
Congress must ensure a good deal. That is their role under our Constitution.
Press Release for Susan Tuchman, Esq. Michigan Event on Jew-hatred, Israel-hatred on Campus
Adat Shalom Synagogue and the Zionist Organization of America’s Michigan chapter will present attorney Susan Tuchman director of ZOA’s Center for Law and Justice, speaking on “Anti-Semitism and Israel-Bashing on Campus: What You Should Know, How We Can Fight It.”
She will appear at Adat Shalom in Farmington Hills on Wednesday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m. She will discuss ZOA’s efforts to protect Jewish students from harassment, intimidation, and discrimination on campus.
To illustrate the problems that Jewish students are facing at the University of Michigan and other schools around the country, a segment of the new film, Crossing the Line 2, will be shown. Largely through ZOA’s efforts, Jewish students are no protected from anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination under Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act. Tuchman will discuss the ways in which the ZOA has helped students resolve problems on various campuses, and steps that students can consider taking if they face anti-Semitic hostility on their own campuses.
“If you are a parent or grandparent of a student in college or about to go to college, this is an information session you and your children or grandchildren will not want to miss,” said Kobi Erez, ZOA-MI executive director. “No student should face the intimidation that students were subjected to at U-M last spring, when anti-Israel students pushed a boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) initiative on campus.”
For information call the ZOA-MI office at (248) 661-6000 or email [email protected].