US rejects Netanyahus demand for Iranian

recognition of Israel

Stat
e Department says agreement with Tehran is only about nuclear issue. White House bids to prevent
congressional interference

BY ITAMAR SHARON AND AP-April 4, 2015

The US State Department rejected over the
weekend Israels demand that any final deal with Iran on its nuclear program include
recognition of Israels right to exist, saying that was not the issue at hand
This is an agreement that is only about the nuclear issue, State Department
spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters on Friday night, according to Fox News. This
is an agreement that doesnt deal with any other issues, nor should it.
Meanwhile the New York Times reported that the White House was already making
intense efforts to sell the emerging deal to a reluctant Congress, in order to prevent
legislators from blocking the accord.

Since the deal was announced on Thursday senior members of President Barack Obamas staff, including
Vice President Joe Biden, Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and National Security Adviser Susan Rice, have
been phoning their colleagues in the House and the Senate as well as Jewish lobbying groups to convince
them of the agreements merits, the Times reported.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks out against a nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, April 03, 2015. (Photo
credit: Kobi Gideon/GPO)

A bipartisan bill being advanced in the Senate, the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act
of 2015, would require any final agreement with Iran to be submitted to Congress for a
60-day review period before congressionally mandated sanctions on Iran could be
waived or suspended by the president. Chiefly supported by Republicans, the bill has
also gained some key backing from some Democratic lawmakers.
Obama has promised to veto the bill, saying it could wreck the nuclear accord and
isolate the US in an intransigent position. The bills success or failure rests, therefore,
on Republicans ability to sway Democrats to their camp in order to secure a vetoproof majority.
The president has a big job here, and its going to be tough, Senator Jeff Flake (R.,
Arizona), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told the Times. Obviously,
Congress knows that it has an important role to play, and the administration is
reluctant to concede that.
But the White House is hopeful that the agreement will be an easier sell now that its

details are available.

People were understandably skeptical because we did not have a deal to point to, but
now that we do, it has strengthened our hand in dealing with Congress, White House
press secretary Josh Earnest said. As they take a look at the agreement and the level
of detail there is, it strengthens our case that not only are we achieving the aims we set
out to achieve, but that we have a way of verifying it.
Following the announcement by Iran and six world powers that they had reached a
framework for a final nuclear deal, to be finalized by June 30, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said he and his government were united in strongly opposing
the agreement.
Netanyahu said after a cabinet session Friday that Israel will not accept an agreement
which allows a country that vows to annihilate us to develop nuclear weapons, period.
However, he also acknowledged the possibility of a final agreement being reached, and
said that such a deal must include a clear and unambiguous Iranian recognition of
Israels right to exist.
The White House expressed confidence on Friday night that a final nuclear agreement
would be attained in the coming months.
We feel good, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said, according to Reuters.
Theres a lot of work to be done, but we are confident we can get those details in
place.
Netanyahu has harshly criticized the negotiations, demanding instead that the Iranian
program be dismantled. He claims Iran cannot be trusted, and that leaving certain
facilities intact would allow the Iranians to eventually build a bomb.
However, it appears unlikely Israel will be able to prevent the final deal amid broad
international support for such an agreement.
China said Saturday that the framework agreement struck with Iran would also bolster
Beijings relations with Washington.
According to a statement by the Chinese government quoted by Reuters, Foreign
Minister Wang Yi spoke with US Secretary of State John Kerry about the deal and its
effects in a phone call.
China and the United States, both taking on major responsibilities in safeguarding the

international nuclear non-proliferation system, maintained good contact with each

other during the negotiations, while instilling positive energy into bilateral relations,
Wang told Kerry.
In a bid to finalize a comprehensive deal as scheduled, China will maintain close
coordination with all parties concerned, including the United States, and continue to
play a constructive role during the process.
German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier on Friday sought to assure Israeli
leaders concerned about the deal that it would improve Israels security.
We ask the Israeli government to look more
closely at the agreement, Steinmeier said,
according to Reuters. Its main points are
intended to guarantee that security in the
Middle Eastwill improve, and not get
worse.
The German diplomat warned however that
it was too early in the process to celebrate.
We can be satisfied, but I hope equally that
2015. (photo credit: AP Photo/Molly Riley)
we can expect that Iran will stick to the main agreements, he said.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier speaks
while meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry at the
State Department in Washington, Wednesday, March 11,

The commitments announced Thursday, if implemented, would substantially pare

back some Iranian nuclear assets for a decade and restrict others for an additional five
years. According to a US document listing those commitments, Tehran is ready to
reduce its number of centrifuges, the machines that can spin uranium gas to levels
used in nuclear warheads.
Of the nearly 20,000 centrifuges Iran now has installed or running at its main
enrichment site, the country would be allowed to operate just over 5,000. Much of its
enriched stockpiles would be neutralized. A planned reactor would be reconstructed so
it cant produce weapons-grade plutonium. Monitoring and inspections by the UN
nuclear agency would be enhanced.
Netanyahu has voiced concerns that the emerging deal would leave much of Irans
nuclear infrastructure intact.
They would not shut down a single nuclear facility in Iran, would not destroy a single
centrifuge in Iran and will not stop research and development on Irans advanced
centrifuges, he said. On the contrary. The deal would legitimize Irans illegal nuclear
program. It would leave Iran with a vast nuclear infrastructure. A vast nuclear

infrastructure remains in place.

He called on the world powers to stand firm and increase pressure in Iran until what
he termed a good deal is achieved.
Obama phoned Netanyahu hours after the framework was struck on Thursday, and the
two men had what was reported as a difficult conversation.
A deal based on this framework would threaten the survival of Israel. Just two days
ago, Iran said that the destruction of Israel is nonnegotiable, and in these fateful days
Iran is accelerating the arming of its terror proxies to attack Israel. This deal would
legitimize Irans nuclear program, bolster Irans economy, and increase Irans
aggression and terror throughout the Middle East and beyond, Netanyahu told
Obama during the call.
Such a deal would not block Irans path to the bomb. It would pave it. It would
increase the risks of nuclear proliferation in the region and the risks of a horrific war.
The alternative is standing firm and increasing the pressure on Iran until a better deal
is achieved, he added.
Obama, calling from aboard Air Force One, countered that the deal represents
significant progress towards a lasting, comprehensive solution that cuts off all of Irans
pathways to a bomb and verifiably ensures the peaceful nature of Irans nuclear
program going forward, according to a read-out released by the White House.
Obama said the deal in no way diminishes our concerns with respect to Irans
sponsorship of terrorism and threats towards Israel and emphasized that the United
States remains steadfast in our commitment to the security of Israel, the White House
said.
The US president told Netanyahu that he instructed his security team to increase
consultations with the new Israeli government about how we can further strengthen
our long-term security cooperation with Israel and remain vigilant in countering Irans
threats.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Posted by Thavam