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Iran deal secures Congress votes, Netanyahu faces criticism in Israel
US President Barack Obama has secured passage of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the world powers and Iran.
The White House victory was sealed yesterday with Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski announcing that she would support the president and ensure that the deal would have the necessary votes to prevent Congress from rejecting it.
While Prime Minister’s Office has refrained from commenting on the record, a senior government minister trying to argue that the outcome is not a failure told Ynet anonymously that: “When the agreement was unveiled, half of Americans supported it and half opposed it,” said the source. “Therefore, it’s wrong to present this as an Israeli failure. To the contrary, it’s a success. Obama is making an illegitimate international agreement thanks to a veto and not thanks to a majority.”
While the JCPOA is broadly criticised in Israel, the Prime Minister’s strategy and conduct have drawn broad criticism from opposition leaders with former Finance Minister and Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid even calling for a national committee of inquiry into the failure of Netanyahu’s foreign policy.
Commenting on developments in Washington DC, Opposition and Zionist Union leader MK Isaac Herzog said: “Bibi led the Israeli government to the worst clash ever against an American president.”
The White House did not issue a statement following the news of its accomplishment. Rather, in Philadelphia yesterday Secretary of State John Kerry continued the public campaign for the deal trying to persuade sceptics of its virtues. In a lengthy speech, Kerry detailed the deal’s benefits to the US, to Israel, and to the Gulf states and outlined how many of the provisions of the agreement will last far beyond its official 10-15 year timeframe.
Meanwhile, the Iranians continue with their incendiary tone against Israel. Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Brig.-Gen. Mohsen Kazzemeini told an Iranian news agency that military preparedness would be increased until “it overthrows Israel and liberates Palestine.”