Thursday, August 6, 2015

IRAN NUKE DEAL: Schumer Wrong and Netanyahu Undue Lobbying

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)
(and yes, he is my NY Senator)


Related to the story (various sources):

•  Anti-deal groups (i.e., AIPAC, et al) flu$h with ca$h are flooding congre$$ional office$ with call$ and email$ to $top the agreement deal.

•  The White House has launched an all-hands-on-deck approach involving nearly every major national security official to defend the agreement deal.

The bill as introduced in the Senate can be seen and read here (S. 615):

3rd Update from the WSJ in part: 

JERUSALEM  — The push by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to defeat the Iran nuclear deal on Capitol Hill is causing concern, even among this home country opponents of the agreement, that the campaign could further fray the country’s ties with the U.S. This all comes nearly five months after Netanyahu won a resounding victory for a third consecutive term as Israel’s PM, yet he faces increasing unease among Israelis as he campaigns to gain support in congress to turn the deal down that would limit Iran’s nuclear program. 




A vote is now pending in congress that just went on their summer recess until early-to-mid September.

Mr. Netanyahu’s intensive lobbying against the nuclear deal was evident again recently in a Web cast hosted by the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, as he urged American Jews to “stand up and be counted and oppose a dangerous deal.”
Some other examples from Israelis:

This statement from said Mr. Gidi Rahat, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute who said: “PM Netanyahu has made the subject of the Iran deal contentious and aligned himself with the American Republican Party. Some of his supporters feel that he was too obstinate and … they are fatigued.”
This from Malcolm Hoenlein: He told Israeli reporters in Washington that Mr. Netanyahu’s vigorous campaigning was causing “discomfort” in the American Jewish community, and added: “Israeli governments should not be telling American Jews what to do vis-à-vis their governments, and we shouldn’t be telling Israelis what they should do vis-à-vis their government.” He then concluded: “I think that Israeli officials should make the case, on the content, on the substance, and we will do the good job of translating it into activity.” 
2nd Update from here, in part and very disturbing to say the least:  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing lawmakers to oppose the nuclear agreement, which he considers a threat to his country's survival. Some pro-Israel groups have also been spending millions of dollars on an advertising campaign to push members of Congress to vote no.

No  pressure from the outside with narrow self-interests, right ... okee, dokee.

1st Update - I call it "Schumer's A-bomb" ... from the NY Times here, in part: 

WASHINGTON — Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), considered one of the most influential Jewish voices in Congress on Thursday night (August 6, 2015) said in pat that he would oppose 
President Obama’s agreement deal to limit Iran’s Nuclear program, saying in a statement: 

Advocates on both sides have strong cases for their point of view that cannot simply be dismissed. This has made evaluating the agreement a difficult and deliberate endeavor, and after deep study, careful thought and considerable soul-searching, I have decided I must oppose the agreement and will vote yes on a motion of disapproval.”

This issue has bothered me for some time, in fact ever since Mr. Schumer self-labeled himself as the “Guardian of Israel picked by God himself” (delivered in an AIPAC speech in 2010 (Note: the YouTube of that speech has been pulled - and God only know why).

 ....  A short reminder:

During that speech he told the audience that his name “Shomer" means guardian. He would like us all to believe that, like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he is agonizing over his decision on whether to approve the Iranian deal or not.  Promising his constituents that he will not commit until he has carefully absorbed, studied and evaluated all relevant information, Mr. Schumer publicly hides his views while paraphrasing the Bard’s well-known soliloquy: “To vote or not to vote, that is the question.” Except that he’s not. 

This man is a slick, clever politician who is front and center at a press conference to announce his position before anyone even knew a position was called for. He craves the center of attention. I do not favor "grandstanding on any issue the way he does."


Mr. Schumer has been called many things in the past, but “careful and deliberate” are not among them. More importantly, there is no more data for Schumer to digest. The Iranian deal has been the subject of more detailed scrutiny than any presidential initiative in recent memory. 

Anyone can read the agreement and access hundreds of well-articulated views of experts in the fields of foreign relations, anti-terrorism and military strategy. Imagine how much more information is available to a United States Senator.

He knows all he needs to know about the Iranian deal, but all along all he is doing is playing a sick game of politics - which is his style - some have said the "most dangerous place in the world is to stand between Chuck Schumer and a microphone and camera." That apparently is truer than fiction.

Back to that 2010 AIPAC speech, and as I said that tape has been pulled from YouTube. One can only surmise why the Schumer “team” whoever they is, would pull the tape. But, I think I know why. However, a similar set of remarks on the same "self-labeling by God to be the Guardian of Israel" can be read here ...

As I said the AIPAC speech has been pulled off the Internet. A key part of that speech in his own words he concluded in his remarks that “God, himself, deputized him to be Israel's man in the Senate and repeats this same message.” Another reference to that speech can be found here but clicking on the YouTube tape produces "tape failure message - no longer available for viewing." 

NOTE: The video seen here is not the original AIPAC video but the message is just as clear. 

Finally, I would like to say as clearly as possible: If Mr. Schumer is somehow instrumental in killing this deal (and he as I stated above announced he will oppose it), then I will make it my life's effort to run against him even if it takes all my strength and money in the world on that issue plus his views about detainee torture (e.g., he once said torture is okay in some cases). 

Mr. Schumer is a U.S. Senator, thus a guardian for America and NY but NOT Israel has he professes

The die is cast (“Alea est jacta!” Julius Caesar, 49 B.C.). If Mr. Schumer sticks by his opposition and vote on this deal, then he must resign from office, go to Israel and seek a seat in the Knesset, or start his new job with AIPAC. 

If possible I will with all my might try run and fill the seat and then offer genuine and honest leadership on tough issue like this, which I honestly believe he is not, plus his stance on torture as I said earlier, too. He is a showman, I am not.  


I would oppose him with all my fiber and might on the issue and not personality. His rationale makes no sense; none whatsoever. Any race against him would be an uphill battle, for sure, but Sen. Charles Schumer, his personal religious or other convictions aside, is a United States Senator not a Jewish one or servant for AIPAC (and believe me, I respect their mission - just not their methods).

He has to go. His effectiveness and judgment are now both seriously in question on those two issues (Iranian nuclear agreement and torture). Mine is not.

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