March, 02 2015, 11:00pm EDT
Statement on Netanyahu's Speech
NIAC President Trita Parsi issued the following statement following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address before Congress:
"In 2002, Benjamin Netanyahu 'guaranteed' Congress that the Iraq war would have 'enormous positive reverberations on the region.' Today, he 'guaranteed' that the pending nuclear deal with Iran will ensure an Iranian nuclear bomb. Netanyahu was dead wrong on Iraq, and he is dead wrong on Iran.
WASHINGTON
NIAC President Trita Parsi issued the following statement following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address before Congress:
"In 2002, Benjamin Netanyahu 'guaranteed' Congress that the Iraq war would have 'enormous positive reverberations on the region.' Today, he 'guaranteed' that the pending nuclear deal with Iran will ensure an Iranian nuclear bomb. Netanyahu was dead wrong on Iraq, and he is dead wrong on Iran.
"If Congress follows his lead and rejects a deal with Iran that peacefully prevents nuclear weapons, it could be an even greater foreign policy mistake than the Iraq invasion.
"In 2002, Netanyahu was part of a crowd that advocated for a war on false pretenses. Today, he is leading the crowd toward a new war, but this time they have learned to call it otherwise. He presented a fantasy approach and provided no alternative to a nuclear deal. This is a question of securing a deal that places verifiable constraints on Iran's nuclear program, versus a non-strategy of issuing tough talk demands and getting nothing for it but a war.
"Netanyahu opposed diplomacy with Iran from the outset. He has sought to prevent it, he has sought to derail it. But now he expects the President of the United States to listen to him on how to conduct it - without offering any realistic alternative.
"The conduct of the government in Iran is problematic, to say the least. Its human rights abuses are deplorable, for instance. But citing 35 years of enmity can not be an argument for rejecting an opportunity to end Iran's problematic policies. Such an argument only serves to ensure that the problems never get resolved.
"The reason is clear: There is no alternative to a peaceful, negotiated outcome with Iran."
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 2002 to give voice to the Iranian-American community. From being the trusted voice on U.S.- Iran relations, to pushing forth legislation that protects individuals of Iranian heritage from systematic discrimination, to celebrating our cultural heritage, NIAC creates a lasting impact in the lives of the members of our community.
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