Blog: Question of the Week: Do You Believe Israel is Put at Risk With the Iran Nuclear Deal?

Statement

Recently, Iran and a U.S.-led coalition of six nations reached a nuclear agreement after years of negotiations. The deal lifts stringent U.S. economic sanctions currently in place on Iran in exchange for certain concessions over Iran's development of nuclear capabilities. Currently, Congress has until September 17th to vote over whether or not it will lift Congressional mandated sanctions on Iran.

There are many critics of the agreement, including Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who described the deal as a "historic mistake" and an existential threat to the nation of Israel. This year, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed both Chambers of Congress to warn about the dangers of Iran's nuclear ambitions, contending the deal constitutes a dangerous compromise that risks increasing regional conflicts within the Middle East and empowering greater Iranian aggression towards Israel. He continues to argue that rewarding the terrorist regime in Tehran with hundreds of billions in unfrozen assets will fuel both Iran's efforts to destroy Israel and Iran's terrorism worldwide.

The Obama Administration and supporters of the deal, however, insist it will not hamper relations between the United States and Israel, and instead will effectively provide oversight of Iranian nuclear research facilities and building capabilities. This is despite the fact that recent reports suggest the IAEA made their own secret agreement with the Iranian government, authorizing Iran to conduct its own inspections with less IAEA oversight -- which critics contend undermines any accountability in the deal.

Source