Michael Oren says battle on Iran deal just starting

Kulanu MK Michael Oren, a former ambassador to the US and the chairman of the Subcommittee for Public Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs, says that “as of now, according to the vote count, the Iranian nuclear deal will pass the legislative hurdle. The fact that the deal is expected to pass by a narrow majority testifies to the depth of doubt and concern among the American public regarding the nuclear deal.”

“Not postponing the deal will pit Israel against new dangers and challenges and we will need to face these just we have faced the threats of the past. As far as we are concerned, this is not the end of the struggle but its beginning. The State of Israel is not committed to the agreement and will always know to defend itself, even if it has to go it alone,” Oren said. His statement was published in Hebrew.

Meretz leader Zahava Gal-On attacked the prime minister shortly after news came out that the White House has in fact convinced enough lawmakers to support the deal to successfully filibuster the Congress legislation dedicated to it.

“All of Netanyahu’s efforts to dig under [US President Barack] Obama failed,” she said. Obama has shown “responsible and powerful” leadership, she said, adding that “Netanyahu went to a battle he knew he would lose for the interests of his Republican friends, and along the way shattered the strategic relationship between Israel and the United States.”