Iran: The Need for Consensus

The mostly hotly debated issue in the American-Israeli relationship is one that affects both countries like never before: the threat of a nuclear armed Iran. Yes, the threat to Israel is more direct, but we all understand that Iran is a threat to America as well. If you need to be told this you must be living in a cave- we are all too aware of this issue to ignore it. The real issue is that we all (Israelis, Americans, and politicians from both countries) still have yet to reach a consensus on action. I write this now as a simple call- we need to decide what to do and we need to do it now! In the Jewish community there are, of course, hawks and doves. The fire of public debate was recently turned up in a TV interview that Alan Dershowitz gave. Dershowitz was asked to comment on the situation and used his remarks to criticize the position of “doves” like J Street. (J Street is a liberal advocacy group that favors negotiation on all land for peace and defense issues over military options. For a better understanding of the J Street position read A New Voice For Israel by Jeremy Ben-Ami.) Dershowitz said that J Street has been trying to get the White House to take military action off the list of possible American policies toward Iran. Dershowitz said “J Street will have blood on its hands if it continues this policy of undercutting the Obama administration when the Obama administration has said in no uncertain terms: it is willing to use military action against Iran if Iran is about to develop nuclear weapons… J Street is neither pro-Israel or pro peace.” Dershowitz said that it is vital that Iran believes that America will take action. This is very strong language and shows that American Jewry is divided on the proper course of action. I only wish the situation in Israel was not just as bad. Both Michael Oren and PM Netanyahu have recently stated that a unilateral attack on Iran by Israel would be “worth it” even if it only brought a delay to nuclear development in Iran. That contrasts vividly with a recent statement by Peres that claimed that such an attack would be a mistake. I have no doubt that public opinion in Israel is just as divided as the opinion of her leaders. As I said, we need to reach a consensus- it may soon be too late to do anything- nobody really knows. What we do know is that Iranian leaders continue to make the daily call for the destruction of Israel and they continue to say that America shall be the target of their weapons as well. Debate is great and everyone is welcome to express their opinion but the time comes for agreement and action. We are running out of time with each passing day. We, Israelis and Americans, need to set a course for our safety. Diplomacy is always better than war but diplomacy needs a partner. Saving lives is always better than taking lives but the most important life to save is your own.