RJC: Israeli Concerns Over Iran Are Not "Noise"

Washington, D.C. (September 24, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) commented today on remarks by Pres. Barack Obama in a "60 Minutes" interview that aired last night.

When asked about Israel's concerns about the very real threat of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, Pres. Obama dismissed them as "noise."
(Video and quotes from the interview are at The Weekly Standard web site.)

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks responded:

"The urgent and well-founded concerns of Israel about the continuing Iranian nuclear arms program are not 'noise.' In this area, as in so many others, American national security interests and Israeli security interests are aligned: we cannot allow Iran to develop the capacity to create and deploy nuclear weapons.

"Diplomacy and sanctions have not impeded the Iranians' progress toward their goal, and recent reports from the IAEA and the Iranian regime corroborate the Israelis' long-held view that Iran has lied to international inspectors and gotten much farther along the path to nuclear weapons than has previously been acknowledged.

"By dismissing Israel's and the international community's legitimate concerns about Iran as mere 'noise,' Pres. Obama yet again displays his Jimmy Carter-like naiveté when it comes to U.S. foreign policy. In these dangerous times, that puts the United States and our friends and allies around the world in jeopardy."