March 4, 2021 (Washington, DC) — Jeff Mendelsohn, Executive Director of Pro-Israel America issued the following statement in response to this recent letter signed by 32 groups, including IfNotNow and J Street:
“An emergent nuclear Iran is one of the greatest challenges facing the United States, Israel, and the entire world. Iran’s unrepentant and increasingly aggressive behavior threatens peace, stability, and our national security. Addressing this issue will require a comprehensive approach from both Congress and the Biden Administration that includes tough diplomacy to negotiate a better agreement that permanently blocks Iran’s ability to have a nuclear weapons capability.
Iran has time and time again violated the terms set in the JCPOA and other international resolutions – long before the U.S. withdrew from the deal in 2018. In 2016, Iran exceeded a cap set on the stockpile of heavy water allowed under the agreement. In 2017, Iran test fired a medium-range ballistic missile, in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. It also violated the arms embargo provision of Resolution 2231 in 2017. Iran has only further ratchetted up its dangerous behavior in recent years – the IAEA confirmed in 2020 that Iran had continued to increase its stockpiles of enriched uranium, in clear violation of the JCPOA.
Diplomacy is necessary, but it must be tough diplomacy that takes into account a sober assessment of Iran’s malicious behaviors. Simply put: Congress and the Administration must not bow to policies of appeasement in response to Iran’s aggression – there is too much at stake.”