Some Jewish-American groups welcome Iran deal but remain wary
Jewish-American group says the prisoner swap and release of captured US sailors were positive signs for relations
US sailors are seen in an undisclosed location in Iran in this handout picture released on Farsnews website. PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW YORK:
A Jewish-American group that lobbied for the Iran nuclear agreement said on Sunday the prisoner swap and Tehran's release of captured US sailors were positive signs for US -Iranian relations but that strict verification remained paramount.
But improved relations do not indicate a detente with Iran, which has a history of being a troublemaker in the region, said Dan Kalik, chief of staff at J Street, a "pro-Israel, pro-peace" advocacy group.
International sanctions lifted after Iran complies with nuclear deal
"I don't think we're at a place where just because we have a nuclear deal with Iran, they're now trustworthy or even an ally," Kalik said.
Other Jewish-American organisations remain deeply opposed to the deal, which has also been sharply criticised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Republicans. The issue has sharply divided American Jews.
The International Atomic Energy Agency ruled on Saturday that Iran had fulfilled last year's landmark agreement with the United States and five other world powers to curtail its nuclear program, triggering the end of sanctions.
Days before the accord's implementation, nerves were rattled when Iran briefly held 10 US sailors who the US military said made a navigational mistake that led them into Iranian waters.
Nuclear deal ‘new chapter’ in Iran’s relations with world: Rouhani
The leader of another Jewish-American organisation that had not taken a position on the nuclear agreement in the months leading to its implementation, invoked a biblical saying from the book of Psalms to "seek peace and pursue it."
But Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said, "Iran's support of terror, a strong inspections regime, Iran's human rights and religious freedom violations, and the United States' standing in the world remain uppermost in our minds, as is ensuring Israel's security."
A decade in the making: The deal is sealed
The Anti-Defamation League, which opposed the nuclear deal, said on Saturday that Tehran's release of several Iranian-American prisoners this weekend was a positive step. But it expressed hope Iran would soon release Robert Levinson, an American held captive for nearly nine years and whose fate remains unknown.
US officials said on Saturday the United States would continue to seek Levinson's whereabouts and try to bring him home.
The ADL also urged "strong US pushback" on human rights violations, Iran's regional expansionism and further missile development, which it said exemplified "ongoing militarism."
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee said the deal, which it strongly opposed, was a turning point for Iran's strength as a "terrorist state" and its ability to pursue regional dominance, as tens of billions of dollars are repatriated.
Kerry arrives in Vienna as world powers prepare to lift sanctions against Iran
"This is a dangerous moment for America and our allies," AIPAC said in a statement on Saturday. It said Iran must be held to the commitments it agreed to under the nuclear accord and that its support for militant groups and arming of regional proxies must be confronted.
A Jewish-American group that lobbied for the Iran nuclear agreement said on Sunday the prisoner swap and Tehran's release of captured US sailors were positive signs for US -Iranian relations but that strict verification remained paramount.
But improved relations do not indicate a detente with Iran, which has a history of being a troublemaker in the region, said Dan Kalik, chief of staff at J Street, a "pro-Israel, pro-peace" advocacy group.
International sanctions lifted after Iran complies with nuclear deal
"I don't think we're at a place where just because we have a nuclear deal with Iran, they're now trustworthy or even an ally," Kalik said.
Other Jewish-American organisations remain deeply opposed to the deal, which has also been sharply criticised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Republicans. The issue has sharply divided American Jews.
The International Atomic Energy Agency ruled on Saturday that Iran had fulfilled last year's landmark agreement with the United States and five other world powers to curtail its nuclear program, triggering the end of sanctions.
Days before the accord's implementation, nerves were rattled when Iran briefly held 10 US sailors who the US military said made a navigational mistake that led them into Iranian waters.
Nuclear deal ‘new chapter’ in Iran’s relations with world: Rouhani
The leader of another Jewish-American organisation that had not taken a position on the nuclear agreement in the months leading to its implementation, invoked a biblical saying from the book of Psalms to "seek peace and pursue it."
But Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said, "Iran's support of terror, a strong inspections regime, Iran's human rights and religious freedom violations, and the United States' standing in the world remain uppermost in our minds, as is ensuring Israel's security."
A decade in the making: The deal is sealed
The Anti-Defamation League, which opposed the nuclear deal, said on Saturday that Tehran's release of several Iranian-American prisoners this weekend was a positive step. But it expressed hope Iran would soon release Robert Levinson, an American held captive for nearly nine years and whose fate remains unknown.
US officials said on Saturday the United States would continue to seek Levinson's whereabouts and try to bring him home.
The ADL also urged "strong US pushback" on human rights violations, Iran's regional expansionism and further missile development, which it said exemplified "ongoing militarism."
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee said the deal, which it strongly opposed, was a turning point for Iran's strength as a "terrorist state" and its ability to pursue regional dominance, as tens of billions of dollars are repatriated.
Kerry arrives in Vienna as world powers prepare to lift sanctions against Iran
"This is a dangerous moment for America and our allies," AIPAC said in a statement on Saturday. It said Iran must be held to the commitments it agreed to under the nuclear accord and that its support for militant groups and arming of regional proxies must be confronted.