President Barack Obama told US Jewish leaders it was likely rockets would fall on Tel Aviv if a nuclear deal with Iran was blocked and military action ensued, one of them said yesterday.
In a separate appeal to American Jews, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a fierce opponent of the July 14 accord, pushed back in a webcast on Tuesday against the Obama administration’s argument that the pact was the only way to avoid war with Iran.
The Republican-led US House of Representatives will vote on whether to reject the agreement when lawmakers return to Washington in September, party leaders said on Tuesday, setting up a showdown with the president.
Greg Rosenbaum, of the National Jewish Democratic Council, quoted Obama on Israel Radio: “’You’ll see more support for terrorism. You’ll see Hezbollah rockets falling on Tel Aviv.’ This is what he said would happen if the US had a military strike on Iran.”
Netanyahu, in the webcast organised by Jewish groups in North America, reiterated Israel’s arguments that the nuclear deal was not enough to curb Iranian nuclear projects.With surveys showing American Jewish opinion mixed on a dispute that has strained the US-Israeli alliance, Netanyahu cast his opposition to the Iran deal as non-partisan.
“I don’t oppose this deal because I want war. I oppose this deal because I want to prevent war. And this deal will bring war,” he said, cautioning that sanctions relief would result in a financial windfall for Iran.
