Put it to a vote
In the Nov. 21 issue of New Jersey Jewish News, Gordon Haas writes on behalf of the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ that the United States should not agree to lift sanctions until five strict guidelines were agreed to by Iran. These guidelines were not sent to the individual members of the CRC for their approval. As a former chair of the Central Jersey CRC, I never took a public position without the permission of the membership of the CRC.
In the delicate negotiations with Iran over freezing its nuclear program, the Obama administration was hoping that the gradual relaxation of punishing sanctions would whet Tehran’s appetite for greater economic relief, inducing the country’s leaders to negotiate a further deal to roll back its nuclear progress. This was a position supported by The New York Times and the Star-Ledger.
This was the deal announcedNov. 24 by Secretary of State Kerry and his negotiating partners. It is largely a holding action to keep the Iranian nuclear program in check for six months while negotiators pursue a more lasting and far tougher agreement. The Israeli government vehemently denounced the agreement.
I am not certain which position is the correct one, but this requires a full discussion and not a fiat that follows the Netanyahu line.
Larry Lerner
Warren
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