Hundreds of US rabbis voice support for Iran nuclear deal

[DonViejo]

Source: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
18 AUG 2015 AT 08:17 ET

More than 300 American rabbis wrote members of Congress Monday urging them to support the international nuclear deal with Iran, signalling the US Jewish community is split over the historic but controversial accord.

The religious leaders come from across the spectrum, but hail overwhelmingly from Judaism’s Conservative and Reform streams as well as other progressive Jewish movements, a spokesperson said.

“We encourage the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to endorse this agreement,” the 340 rabbis wrote in a letter to Congress distributed by Ameinu, a progressive charitable Jewish organization.

“We are deeply concerned with the impression that the leadership of the American Jewish community is united in opposition to the agreement,” the rabbis added.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2015/08/hundreds-of-us-rabbis-voice-support-for-iran-nuclear-deal/

[Wellstone ruled]

1. This is not good news for the Bibi.

AIPAC must be crapping in their drawers.

[SpankMe]

2. Good.

On Monday, I read a good summary of the deal (but I didn't bookmark the web site and I don't remember where it was! It was a foreign policy, wonky web site of some sort).

And, the deal is fairly complete and we'd be fools not to endorse and implement the deal. It took years to get to it, and the experts in the article were saying we couldn't have done any better, and that - in fact - if the deal is implemented, Iran would be a good 10 years away from a weapon, and that would give us time to devise the next step to prevent them from getting one. But, if the deal was torpedoed right now, that none of the safeguards would be in place and Iran could have a weapon in less than 2 years without the constraints of the deal. (Not that they will, just that they could.)

The Republican oppositin to this is criminal. Chuck Schumer's opposition to this is ridiculous. But, he's playing politics: he depends on the Jewish vote to keep him in office and many in the American Jewish community are listening to the insane rhetoric of Israeili leaders.

[karynnj]

8. on Schumer, I don't think it the Jewish vote, but

Jewish Aipac related donors.

Many of these rabbis are from big NYC area synagogues. As a Jew, active in a synagogue, these rabbis did not sign this in congregations where large majorities are for it.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. I wish they'd had some influence on Robert Menendez. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.

[geek tragedy]

4. Crooked Bob was a lost cause years ago.

The only question is whether he drags Corey "I love Bain Capital" Booker along with him.

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. Sadly, I have to agree. He's obviously much more hawkish in foreign policy than I care for.

Maybe this is his revenge for normalizing relations with Cuba?

[Daniel537]

14. Yep, Bobby blew a gasket when Obama changed our Cuba policy.

He's going to spend the next year and a half undermining the president wherever he can.

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. And he certainly has no love for the Obama Justice Dept. He's raised $1.5M since his indictment.

He can't afford to ruffle the feathers of his donors, whoever they may be. I'm not sure if he has, but I think he should step down from any committee assignments/chairmanships until the indictment is resolved.

[Daniel537]

16. He stepped down as ranking member of the Foreign Relations commitee

but he's still a member and as such i'm sure he'll do the "best" he can to obstruct President Obama, unless/until that indictment becomes a conviction.

[erronis]

5. Agence France-Presse - some Old Europe rag? If it isn't in my morning M$M/cup-o-j

I can't believe it. Sure there are stupid fanatics everywhere. But why would real rabbis want to promote peace? It's not the American (AIPAC) way!

[karynnj]

9. tikun olum means repair of the world, not bomb iran

[Hekate]

25. You forgot your sarcasm smiley. I hope.

[Uncle Joe]

6. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, DonViejo.

[Mosby]

10. Nice pic they used for the story

No agenda there.

Pathetic.

eta - just so people here know how fucked up this is consider RS publishing a story about Christians and and using a pic of westboro baptist church members as the illustration at the top. There use of the NK is almost a dog whistle, it's very hateful and premeditated.

I'm really stunned.

[Mosby]

12. the haredim pictured belong to a sect called the Neturei Karta

You can see their Web address at the bottom of the sign (NKUSA.ORG).

They are an extremist group of about 100 people who do not support the existence of the nation of Israel. The other 99.9999 percent of orthodox Judaism, whether modern or Haredi support Israel.

They are not just indifferent to the existence of Israel, their top leaders attended a Holocaust "conference" held in Iran in 2006, one member was arrested and convicted in 2013 of spying for Iran.

There is a major Jewish holiday where the members of this "Jewish" sect burn Israeli flags.

They even attacked the Chabad after the Mumbai murders in India in 2008, saying that they should not be working with Zionists.

They don't represent any stream of Judaism except for there own, just like WBC.

RS can't be this stupid to not know some of this, there are literally hundreds of ultra orthodox groups they could have used, but they chose the NK.

[freshwest]

18. Well, I was stupid enough to not know about NK, but RS shouldn't be.

Last edited Tue Aug 18, 2015, 11:21 PM - Edit history (1)

Holocaust deniers, ugh. I'll probably delete that, it's not freedom of speech on a Democratic website when a group has gone that far off into CT stuff.

But IIRC, many American Jewish people support the deal negotiated by PBO and other world leaders, as well as nuclear scientists.

[Mosby]

21. they are so small most people have never heard of them

Including most Jews.

[Mosby]

17. why do you think they chose that photo?

The Rabbis in the story were probably Reform Jews and yet they chose a photo of a small sect of anti-Israel Jews.

I'll tell you why, they are trying to mainstream the idea that religious Jews don't support Israel.

It's bullshit.

[freshwest]

19. Sounds very biased to me from RS. They're going too far for profit. n/t

[JudyM]

30. Yeah, stunningly biased, just wow. Nt

[freshwest]

20. Deleted previous post because of Mosby's information. Thanks. n/t

[potone]

13. Good!

Two good news stories in one day??? (The other one being Secretary Clinton's opposition to drilling in the Arctic.) I think I'm going to have to lie down.

[burrowowl]

22. K&R!!!!!!

Will Repukea listen to reason? Of course not, just to warmongers!

[4lbs]

23. I sure hope they sent the same message to IPAC and Israel.

NOTE: I intentionally left the first 'A' off AIPAC above. AIPAC cares more about Israel than it does America, so no need to put the first 'A' in the name.

[asjr]

24. When I first noticed this I thought it said rabbits.

[Hekate]

26. Excellent news. Thanks for the post, DonV. nt

[Gothmog]

27. A large percentage if not a majority of US jews support the Iran nuclear deal

As an US Jew, I am very supportative of the Iran nuclear deal. Bibi does not speak for a larger percentage if not a majority of American Jews

[lark]

28. HA! Suck on that, AIPAC.

You haven't fooled everyone.

[0rganism]

29. initial reading: "hundreds of US rabbits..."

i was confused.