The View from Israel

When news of the historic nuclear deal with Iran broke, it came as no surprise that reactions from politicians on the left and the right were varied. Democrats such as Hillary Clinton applauded the news with restraint, while Republicans have expressed mostly disapproval toward the proposed framework. Yet, surprisingly (or perhaps not), one of the most prominent figures featured in the American media’s coverage of the deal has been Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On April 5, Netanyahu gave interviews to Sunday talk shows on CNN, ABC, and NBC in which he reaffirmed his opposition to the negotiations, asserting that he was “not trying to kill any deal,” but instead “trying to kill a bad deal.” He argued that the negotiations would enable Iran to manufacture nuclear weapons that could “annihilate” Israel. Netanyahu has been no stranger to the American media in recent months and his scathing reviews of the deal fell in line with his previous comments on the matter. In his highly controversial speech to Congress in March, the Prime Minister proclaimed, “To defeat ISIS and let Iran get nuclear weapons would be to win the battle, but lose the war. We can’t let that happen. But that, my friends, is exactly what could happen, if the deal now being negotiated is accepted by Iran. That deal will not prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.”
Netanyahu’s remarks are in sharp contrast to President Obama’s announcement of the deal, in which he lauded the “historic understanding with Iran.” Although Obama informed Netanyahu of the framework just hours after his statements, it seems that the deal will only reinforce the frosty relationship between the two leaders. In his interview with CNN, Netanyahu avoided Jim Acosta’s inquiry as to whether he trusted Obama, noting that he did not believe that the issue was a question of “personal trust,” and on Wednesday, the White House tweeted an infographic that clearly mocked Netanyahu’s use of a cartoon bomb image in a speech to the UN. Yet, despite the clear disagreement between Obama and Netanyahu, will this deal significantly damage the relationship between Israel and America?
The answer appears to be no. Certainly, one can expect the frosty relationship between Netanyahu and Obama to continue, but the fact remains that Israel could not realistically enact a strike on Iran without American support. Obama has emphasized that the United States would “remain vigilant in countering Iran’s threat,” and Israeli public opinion on the matter has been surprisingly mixed. In a piece for Haaretz, commentator Avi Shilon argued that Netanyahu should consider the deal a victory, as it will prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power for at least a decade. As long as the Iranian threat to Israeli security remains curbed by the potential deal, Israel will not be able to leverage the negotiations against the United States. Prime Minister Netanyahu can continue his American media tour, but it seems that the Iranian nuclear deal will not become the elephant in the room of American-Israeli relations.