facebook-pixel

On nuclear deal, not all Israelis are with Netanyahu

FILE - In this Sunday, June 7, 2015, file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in his Jerusalem office. At first glance, one might think Israelis are solidly behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's all-out diplomatic war against the U.S.-led nuclear deal with Iran. But look closer and deep fissures appear: There is angst over what some see as a reckless diplomatic adventure that pits Israel against its indispensable backer. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

Jerusalem • At first glance, one might think Israelis are solidly behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's all-out diplomatic war against the U.S.-led nuclear deal with Iran. But look closer and deep fissures appear: There is angst over what some see as a reckless diplomatic adventure that pits Israel against its indispensable backer.

Most Israelis seem to agree that a better bargain could have been squeezed out of the Islamic Republic, their country's top nemesis. They don't like Iran's ability to delay inspections in some locations, the speed with which sanctions will come off, or the prospect that Iran will soon have tens of billions of dollars in unfrozen funds, greatly enhancing its ability to foment regional mischief and unrest.

But many also are concluding that with the agreement all but wrapped up, it is time to give up the fight and adjust to the new reality, most critically by repairing a tattered relationship with the White House. Some voices even believe the deal is acceptable, or at least that it is worth testing the theory that the agreement will help moderate Iran.

After the deal was signed by Iran and six global powers last month in Vienna, Netanyahu's government has been furiously lobbying U.S. lawmakers, holding out hope Congress will vote against it by a strong enough margin to override any presidential veto. The U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, said this week that the odds of this happening are slim. In the process, President Barack Obama has publicly bristled at Israeli lobbying.

In the seemingly unlikely event that Netanyahu prevails, many ask: What then? Other nations would still remove the sanctions, leaving the U.S. and Israel alone. Iran, freed of the shackles of the deal, would be free to proceed to a nuclear weapon.

If Netanyahu loses, he will have gained nothing and potentially lost much by damaging the already strained relationship with the U.S., endangering a vital security alliance and American diplomatic cover at the United Nations. Israel's status would then be dangerously diminished in the eyes of the world and of enemies in the region.

"When it comes to the relationship between Israel and the United States, Netanyahu's problem is ... extreme courage, to the point of dangerousness," commentator Ari Shavit wrote in the Haaretz daily Thursday.

Faced with a "done deal," Shavit said Israel should be negotiating with the U.S. to address its risks and make it work. "Instead of talking to the administration, Netanyahu is clashing with it," he wrote.

While it is believed that many security figures are cool to the deal, at least some have concluded it is time to move on and begin work on a new security pact with the U.S., replacing a current agreement that expires in 2017.

Some officials even see positive aspects in the deal, since it seems to sideline a critical issue for the next few years.