Jewish Dems Reaffirm Support for Nuclear Talks Following PM Netanyahu’s Address

Following today’s address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a Joint Meeting of Congress, the National Jewish Democratic Council reaffirmed its support for diplomatic talks to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while thanking the Prime Minister for recognizing all that President Obama and his administration have done to ensure Israel’s safety and security.

While every member of the Democratic caucus faced a difficult decision regarding today’s address, we recognize that each one made the appropriate decision for themselves. It was a shame that House Speaker John Boehner put members of Congress in this position by playing partisan politics with the U.S.-Israel relationship. Israel’s security is at its strongest when it remains a bipartisan issue, and we are deeply disappointed that Speaker Boehner chose to put politics ahead of principle in this situation.

Despite our issues with how today’s speech came about, we were pleased that Prime Minister Netanyahu recognized that President Obama and his administration have always steadfastly supported Israel’s security. As Netanyahu stated, “I appreciate all that President Obama has done for Israel, and I will always be grateful to President Obama for that support.”

In the coming weeks, we are committed to working with the Obama Administration in ensuring that all options remain on the table in regards to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. This includes giving diplomatic negotiators the space and time they need to properly find a peaceful solution. As U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice stated just last night, “additional sanctions or restrictive legislation enacted during the negotiation would blow up the talks, divide the international community, and cause the United States to be blamed for the failure to reach a deal-putting us in a much weaker position and endangering the sanctions regime itself.” We maintain that a diplomatic accord is the best option in ensuring that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon, and we support President Obama and the administration in working to achieve that goal.