The Israeli Defense Ministry’s outrageous statement today comparing the JCPOA to the “Munich Agreement” is completely unacceptable and littered with falsehoods.
The Ministry’s insinuation that the Iran nuclear deal could lead to genocide and world war is fear-mongering of the worst kind. Given the very real dangers in the region, it is the height of irresponsibility to raise the specter of the Holocaust over the Iran nuclear deal, which, by preventing an Iranian nuclear weapon, achieved one of Israel’s most important strategic objectives.
The statement’s characterization of the JCPOA is divorced from reality. The deal is not based on “trust,” but on unprecedented access to Iran’s nuclear facilities, round the clock monitoring and sanctions that snap back into place if Iran violates the deal. Rather than “leading to war,” the deal verifiably prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon without firing a single shot.
These latest comments are disturbingly at odds with many top Israeli security and nuclear experts’ recognition that Iran is living up to the terms of the deal. Senior members of Israel’s security establishment have recognized the deal’s successes, including IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, who has praised it as a “strategic turning point.” Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission has said the accord “will keep Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, and that the agreement contains sufficient limitations on the country’s nuclear program.”
In stark contrast to the tone of the Defense Ministry’s statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu, a staunch opponent of the deal, released his own statement reiterating the importance of the US-Israel relationship. He re-stated Israel’s continuing opposition to the agreement but stressed that now the focus should be on shared goals of ensuring continued Iranian compliance and opposing its support for terrorism.
President Obama has worked tirelessly to ensure Israel’s security throughout his presidency. It is particularly offensive for the Defense Ministry to question the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security as Israel and the United States near completion on a Memorandum of Understanding that will give Israel unprecedented levels of military and security assistance. We call on Israel’s Defense Ministry to issue a full apology and retraction of this untruthful and reckless statement.