US Ambassador: Israel Should Prepare for the Day After Congress Votes on Iran Deal

Dan Shapiro, the United States Ambassador in Tel Aviv, says that Israel must prepare for the day after the US Congress votes on the nuclear agreement with Iran. In an interview with Israel Radio broadcast on Monday morning, August 10, he stated: "Despite the clear differences between the US and Israel regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran, Israel's interests require that it begin diplomatic discussions with the United States to prepare for the day after the Congress vote on the mentioned agreement." According to a report by the Jerusalem Post on this interview, the US ambassador added: "We must accept the clear differences between us and that we probably will not be able to convince each other." Shapiro announced that he had suggested to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to begin diplomatic negotiations with the US regarding issues following the Iran nuclear agreement, but the Prime Minister has not yet responded to this request. Netanyahu is a staunch opponent of the agreement reached on July 14 in Vienna between Iran and world powers, which he has described as "dangerous" for Israel's security and existence, urging the US Congress to reject it. Last week, Netanyahu said: "The more you know about the agreement, the more opposed you become." His strong positions have faced reactions from the Israeli President and the leader of the main opposition in the country, as well as from Barack Obama, the President of the United States. Isaac Herzog, leader of the Zionist Union, told 24 Democratic members of the US Congress that "the agreement of world powers with Iran is dangerous, but he disagrees with Netanyahu on how to deal with this issue." Barack Obama also stated on August 5 in a speech defending the nuclear agreement with Iran at American University, addressing Israeli leaders and people, that "a nuclear-armed Iran is more dangerous for Israel, the US, and the world than an Iran that benefits from the lifting of sanctions." Obama, referring to Netanyahu's "strong opposition" to this agreement, stated: "I believe he (Netanyahu) is mistaken. I am aware of the realities that justify this agreement. I believe they are in the interest of both the US and Israel. And as President of the United States, it is against my legal duty to act against my own correct understanding, simply because it may temporarily upset a close friend or ally." The US President added: "I have made it very clear to the Israeli government that we are ready to discuss how we can enhance our cooperation. We have already had discussions with this country about the 10-year security assistance program for Israel. We can discuss areas such as missile defense, intelligence sharing, and deterrence that can meet Israel's needs." Dan Shapiro, the US ambassador in Tel Aviv, provided details about his proposals to Benjamin Netanyahu in his interview with Israel Radio, including how "we can increase our security cooperation to face the consequences of the Iran agreement, negotiate the type of security information needed, reach an agreement on military cooperation that may be needed in the next 10 years, how we can stop the flow of weapons to Hezbollah (Lebanon), and what capabilities Israel needs to counter missile launches. We can negotiate all these issues despite our differences over the agreement with Iran." He added: "The Prime Minister (of Israel) has not yet agreed to these discussions, and I think the time has come for that." The US ambassador emphasized: "Simply arguing is not constructive... We can still prepare ourselves for the day after (the Congress vote). We need to come to terms with the Iran agreement together; why not prepare ourselves for this situation?" The US Congress has until September 17 to review the agreement with Iran and vote either in favor or against it. Most American media believe that Congress will reject this agreement, but it is still unclear whether Republicans will be able to muster two-thirds of the votes to overcome the President's veto.