28 Mar 2024
Thursday 21 November 2013 - 19:50
Story Code : 66041

Friedman Slams 'Israel Lobby' for Preventing Iran Deal

In his latest screed,New York TimescolumnistThomas Friedman has accused the Israel lobby of standing in the way of U.S. President Barack H. Obama, preventing him from reaching a desirable agreement with Iran on its nuclear program.
Never have I seen Israel and Americas core Arab allies working more in concert to stymie a major foreign policy initiative of a sitting U.S. president, and never have I seen more lawmakers Democrats and Republicans more willing to take Israels side against their own presidents, Friedman wrote in his latest op-ed blog piece.

Im certain this comes less from any careful consideration of the facts and more from a growing tendency by many American lawmakers to do whatever the Israel lobby asks them to do in order to garner Jewish votes and campaign donations, he added.

Friedman does admit that thesanctionshave had the desired effect. "I dont begrudge Israel and the Arabs their skepticism, but we still should not let them stop a deal. If youre not skeptical about Iran, youre not paying attention. Iran has lied and cheated its way to the precipice of building a bomb, and without tough economicsanctionssanctionsthatPresident Obamaengineered but which Netanyahu and the Arab states played a key role in driving Iran would not be at the negotiating table," he wrote.

But still, a deal is necessary - and if there is a war, it will be Israel's fault, he wrote. "If Israel kills this U.S.-led deal, then the only option is military. How many Americans or NATO allies will go for bombing Iran after Netanyahu has blocked the best effort to explore a credible diplomatic alternative? Not many. That means only Israel will have a military option," he wrote.

Friedman has written extensively about the Jewish lobby, which he claims has a practical stranglehold on Congress.Last December, Friedman spoke out in favor of appointing former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense, because he was not on the same page as Israel in many areas. Hagel is out of the mainstream. That is exactly why his voice would be valuable right now, Friedman said. Hagel has been quoted as saying, among other things, that The Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here, but I'm a United States senator. I'm not an Israeli senator.

Friedman has also writtenthat the White House is disgusted with Israeli interlocutors, and that Israeli settlers are a cancer for the Jewish people and those who collaborate in the building of settlements are enemies of peace and enemies of Americas national interest, among other things.

ByArutz Sheva

 

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