Less than 10% of top US Jewish groups back Iran deal, umbrella org says

Fewer than 10 percent of major American Jewish groups voiced support for the nuclear deal with Iran in a recent poll, with the bulk expressing opposition to it, an umbrella organization said in a statement Friday.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations said that it took a survey of its 53 member groups across the US and found that 55% of the organizations opposed the accord reached between world powers and Iran in July, and that fewer than 10% expressed support.

“The remaining organizations fell into various categories,” the Conference of Presidents said in the statement. “Some expressed concern with the agreement but did not take a formal position, others do not endorse specific legislative measures at any time, and others felt constrained from declaring a position for a variety of reasons.”

The poll, whose full findings were not immediately available on the organization’s website, was made public the same day as an annual American Jewish Committee survey which found American Jews were deeply split on the issue. The AJC poll found that 50.6 percent of respondents approved of the sanctions relief for nuclear restrictions deal reached in July between Iran and six major powers, and 47.2 percent disagreed with it. With a 4.7% margin of error, it was a statistical tie.

“We have long advocated that the Iranian nuclear drive not be defined as essentially a Jewish or as an Israeli issue,” the Conference of Presidents said. “It is a potent danger to the world, to the vital interests and security of the US, and is a threat that will further destabilize the already tumultuous situation in the Middle East and provide new opportunities for Iranian intimidation and exploitation.”

The nuclear deal with Iran, agreed upon by the Islamic Republic and six world powers, is a highly divisive issue in the American Jewish community. Some believe it endangers Israel, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been a bitter opponent of it. Others believe, as US President Barack Obama has said, that it enhances Israel’s security because it involves some scaling back of the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for the suspension of some international sanctions imposed on Tehran.

The polls came out after Thursday’s long-anticipated vote in Congress on the Iran nuclear deal. A disapproval resolution for the agreement fell two votes short of the 60 needed to move forward as most Democratic and independent senators banded together against it. The deal is now set to be approved without a showdown between Congress and the president.

“Once Congress finishes its work, we will move on to the next stage,” the Conference of Presidents said. “We must continue to educate and alert the American people and the world to the dangers posed by Iran and especially an emboldened Iran.”

JTA contributed to this report.