Rivlin warns US Democrats of Iran deal dangers

President Reuven Rivlin warned of the dire consequences of the Iran nuclear agreement in a meeting with US Democrats on Wednesday.

“We fear that this agreement is a first step in the legitimization of Iran’s policies and strategies, and only acts to further destabilize a chaotic region,” Rivlin told the delegation.

After emphasizing the two countries’ shared commitment to democracy and human rights, Rivlin cautioned that the Iran deal threatens these values.

“The current Iranian regime, act with a dangerous combination of aggressiveness, fundamentalism, and state sponsored terrorism – threatening even without nuclear weapons, freedom and democracy in this region and around the world,” Rivlin said.

The president was speaking to a delegation of Democrats, lead by House Minority Whip, Rep Steny Hoyer, visiting Israel as part of a trip organized by US pro-Israel lobby AIPAC.

Rivlin stressed that the US-Israel alliance would remain strong even if Congress approves the Iran nuclear deal, and that Israel trusted its allies, especially the US, for support “in this crucial time.”

In response, delegation leader Hoyer spoke of “the unbreakable bond” between the US and Israel and said that at the time the two countries need to be “united and not divided.”

Hoyer also praised Rivlin’s strong condemnation of last week’s terror attacks, where an ultra-Orthodox man stabbed six at the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade, killing one, and two Palestinian homes were firebombed, allegedly by Jewish settlers, killing an 18-month old.

Israeli lawmakers had voiced strong opposition to the landmark nuclear deal reached between Iran and world powers last month, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that the agreement was “a historic mistake.”

Congressional Democrats were increasingly confident Monday that they will have the one-third votes in either chamber to defend a presidential veto against any legislative bid to overturn the Iran nuclear deal.

Republicans in the House and Senate are expected to push through a “resolution disapproval,” effectively keeping the US out of the nuclear deal negotiated with Iran by a US-led group of six world powers.

But US President Barack Obama has promised to veto such a bill, forcing Congress to produce a two-thirds majority in both houses to override the veto.

While Republicans control a majority in both chambers, they cannot muster a two-thirds veto-proof majority without at least 44 Democratic House representatives and 13 Democratic senators.

Times of Israel Staff, Tamar Pileggi and Jonathan Beck contributed to this report.