I don’t know for certain, but I am pretty sure that the Irish-Americans, who have long been away from the green fields of Ire, would be very irate if United States signed an accord with England that nearly all but guaranteed the destruction of Ireland. I don’t think we would guess and wonder about the loyalties of the Irish-Americans, we would simply understand that all non-Native Americans (except the ex-slaves) have some ties to their country of origin, no matter how far removed. This is no different for American Jews. For American Jews, Israel the country of origin remains in our DNA as all countries of origin for all people. A Jews is a bit more complicated, as Jews may also feel affinity for Morocco, Iran, or ex-Soviet Union due to the centuries spent there as well, although those ties falls off by the second and third generation.
For many liberal Jews, the complexity increases with politics, especially when politics of their conscience, the Democratic party, begins to resemble Republican party. Worse still, is when they have to agree with the Republican party. Generally, having seen the Republican record on matters of National defense, it is easy to discount them and agree with Democrats. In this case however it is a bit more confusing: is the Iran a good deal or a bad deal? Would they get the weapons or not? Will they use terror more or less?
If you listen to Iranians, they say more, which could be a bluff. If you listen to the administration, they will use less, but that sounds like hope. The real issue for liberal Jews is this desire to join with Obama but at the same time feeling of being put into Bush style ultimatum of you’re either with us or against us, which makes my ears perk up and wonder: am I manipulated?
If I am manipulated, then why. What is there to win for Obama with this deal? What if this deal falls though? What if Iranians get a weapons? What if Israel is no more? What if Israel starts a war because it feels it has no choice or gets into a war as Iran pushes more and more arms into the hands of Hazbullah and Hamas?
At the same time, there could be another angle. At the moment, the only army in Syria near Lebanon fighting ISIS is Hazbullah. America can’t arm them, Israel can’t either and I’m sure both America and Israel prefer Hazbullah at the border to ISIS. So this could be a path to letting Iran arm Hazbullah to fight Da’ash (ISIS).
All this is tough to know, it is tough to advocate, it is a time to wait and see when that does not seem to be an option. Which means it is even more important to approach the subject with caution and prudence but never forgetting that the last genocidal maniac we ignored started a world war. Let’s not let another genocidal regime, start another.