Opinions

In recent months, I have read the terms and details of the proposed nuclear deal with Iran and listened to the testimony of numerous senior administration officials responsible for crafting and negotiating it. Informed by this information as well as classified intelligence analysis, I believe this proposal falls short of its goal to prevent Iran’s nuclear weapons capability. Back in Kansas during August, conversations with many people from across the state have only reinforced my conviction that the world can and must do better than this potentially dangerous deal.

It was not surprising that Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) embraced some of the most convoluted logic about the Iran deal to rationalize her support for it. After all, McCaskill, back in 2008, was one of candidate Barack Obama’s strongest, earliest and most vocal supporters.

Classes began this week at the University of Kansas, the University of Missouri and have or will be starting soon at college campuses across the country. The rise in anti-Semitism on American campuses is alarming, and likely due to the toxic combination of destructive groups and ineffective academic leaders.

When you see or if you know anyone associated with the Flo Harris Foundation, please express appreciation to them for allowing me to do outreach in the Jewish Community regarding the importance of healthy relationships, and specifically defining and addressing unhealthy ones. Additionally, I hope the wonderful anonymous donor who enabled me to attend the Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies (AJFCA) Domestic Violence Professionals Fly-In that took place in Chicago sees this article! This quick but powerful conference attracted professionals from across the nation addressing education, prevention, safety, and the importance of learning how abuse (of any nature) affects a person and family during their life span.

Rabbi’s recommendations are ‘delusional’

Rabbi Mark Levin approves the Iran deal, saying of his inability to understand the arguments against it, perhaps “everyone else knows something I don’t know.” Well, rabbi, everyone else does. They know Obama is the only person who ever held a royal flush and let himself be bluffed out of the pot. With the backing of five major nations, all he had to do was to tighten the sanctions and Iran, with its economy already buckling, would be paralyzed. Now their oil taps will be open, and hundreds of billions of dollars released to fund terror throughout the world.

I hope Congress passes the Iran treaty for one simple reason: I have seen absolutely no reasonable response to what happens after the agreement is rejected.

We must speak out

Most rabbis will not speak about the Iran situation during the High Holidays. They are afraid of insulting part of their audience, which pays their salaries.

As I compare the prospects of congressional approval of the Iran nuclear accord versus disapproval of it, disapproval is the lesser evil, by far. I am guided by my belief that Iran will become a nuclear nation soon without the agreement, and in the next 10 years with the agreement. Either way we are going to be facing a nuclear Iran in the near future. Can Congress influence what Iran will look like? I believe so.

President Obama last week accused members of the Republican Caucus of “making common cause” with Iranian hard-liners. He stood by those remarks while appearing on this weekend’s Sunday shows. The president would rather bluster about Republicans acting hand-in-hand with those who chant “death to America” than acknowledge the dangerous facts about his nuclear agreement.

The Iran deal currently in the news is one of the most significant issues to face Israel, but I will not be speaking about it on the High Holidays or Shabbat. Right now, this issue is dividing Jews throughout this country, and I believe that we need to work toward finding ways to come together to love and support Israel, and for this love and support to cross religious denominational and American political boundaries. While I have opinions on the Iran deal that I will share in this article, I also have great respect for those that disagree with me and a profound desire to create a sacred space at our synagogue that brings us together as much as possible.