By JAIME KARDONTCHIKUpdated: JULY 21, 2015 20:44
Everyone in Israel already spoke loud and clear what she/he thinks about the deal sealed between Iran and the P5+1: there is no need to add to it. Going forward, it will be wise to concentrate on issues that can garner truly bipartisan support within the people and the Congress of the USA: This – full bipartisan support – is the most important and vital asset of Israel and should not be wasted in divisive and quixotic fights. The future of Israel will depend more on its capability to deal with the opportunities and threats in its immediate neighborhood. This capability will be greatly enhanced if Israel will enjoy a steady and wholeheartedly bipartisan support from the USA.The Congress will have now sixty days to approve/disapprove the handling of the Obama administration of its negotiations with Iran and to discuss whether the objectives of the negotiations were met or not. The Congress will have its hands full considering also such things as whether the inclusion of the lifting of limitations on Iran’s ballistic missiles program violates the initial understandings between the Congress and the White House about the nature of the deal, what should be the role of the US in the conflicts ravaging the Middle East and constitutional minutiae such as whether the deal is a “non-binding agreement” that can be implemented using simple executive powers of the President or a “treaty” that needs the advice and consent of the Senate. The discussions in the Congress will be viewed by the general public in the United States mainly as a partisan debate, one of the several that are being held towards the upcoming 2016 elections in the USA.Israel should do its utmost to stay tight-lipped and coolheaded and politely excuse itself out of this public debate in the USA. The Israeli government and its various representatives could avoid being dragged into this highly partisan debate by simply stating, if pressed to participate (specially by the USA channel news), that Israel is not bound by this deal but will gladly provide discretely and in closed doors any technical information and other that the Congress - with the approval of the President - will solicit from Israel.What could the Israel representatives do instead that could have a positive impact on the public opinion of the United States? Emphasize that Israel would like to have normal and peaceful relations with Iran and that the combination of the genocidal threats coming from Teheran with the tens of thousands of missiles that Iran stationed in Lebanon and directed towards Israel is similar to the stationing of the Russian’s nuclear missiles in Cuba pointed at the USA in the early sixties. This is an explosive combination that will lead to war, either by design or by miscalculation. Lebanon does not need these missiles for its protection from Israel: Israel does not threaten Lebanon and is ready to sign a peace treaty with it. These missiles should be removed in the same way that the missiles in Cuba were. This argument will resonate with the people of the United States and Israel will have the complete bipartisan support of the Congress and the US administration.