The bill approved by the Senate regarding the deal on Iran’s nuclear program is “a good compromise” and a result of Israeli efforts, says Minister Steinitz.
Israel is pleased with the bill passed on Tuesday by the US Senate regarding its oversight on a final deal between the P5+1 Powers and Iran on its nuclear program, despite compromises made in the last draft of the bill, Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said on Wednesday.
“We are certainly happy this morning, this is an achievement for Israeli policy,” he told Kol Israel Radio, saying the bill was a “good compromise.”
Steinitz said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a special session of in Congress in March was key in influencing the bill and “was decisive in achieving this law, which is a very important element in preventing a bad deal, or at least, in improving the agreement and making it more reasonable.”
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“This is more pressure and another barrier in the face of a bad agreement, and therefore the administration and the negotiating team will make more of an effort to seal gaps and to achieve an agreement that looks better, or at least more reasonable, so that it will pass in Congress,” Steinitz said.
On Tuesday, Congress passed a softer version of the bill with bipartisan support, and reports indicate that Obama will add his signature as well.
There were a number of changes and compromises before the bill was finally introduced in order to ensure broad support.
On Monday, Steinitz stated that regardless of the final outcome of an agreement and its effect on Iran’s nuclear program, the damage had already been done.
“Even as Iran disavows article after article in the framework agreement that was announced last week, the international community is beginning to ease restrictions on it. This is the direct result of the legitimacy that Iran is receiving from the nuclear deal being made with it. This also proves that the economic momentum in Iran that will come in the wake of the lifting of the sanctions will be exploited for armaments and not used for the welfare of the Iranian people,” Steinitz said on Monday.
“Instead of demanding that Iran desist from the terrorist activity that it is carrying out in the Middle East and throughout the world, it is being allowed to arm itself with advanced weapons that will only increase its aggression,” Steinitz charged.
By: United with Israel Staff
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