Rabbis Defend Iran Nuclear Agreement in Letter to US Congress: Report
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – More than 300 rabbis sent a letter to the US Congress, calling on lawmakers to endorse the conclusion of nuclear talks between Iran and world powers, a report said.
“We encourage the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to endorse this agreement,” read the August 17 letter signed by 340 rabbis, The Hill reported.
The letter was distributed by Ameinu, which is considered a national, multi-generational community of Jews in North America.
The group in a statement described the signatories as rabbis from all streams of Judaism. The letter also sought to dispel the idea that all Jewish-American community leaders oppose the agreement.
“Most especially, we are deeply concerned with the impression that the leadership of the American Jewish community is united in opposition to the agreement. We, along with many other Jewish leaders, fully support this historic nuclear accord,” it said.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) finalized the text of lasting deal on Tehran’s nuclear program on July 14.
While the United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution to endorse the deal, the text of the document needs to be ratified by both Iran's Parliament and the US Congress.
US President Barack Obama has promised a swift veto in the event of a Congress rejection of the agreement in September. Lawmakers would then have to find enough votes to override the president. 20 of 46 Senate democrats have so far supported the deal and Obama administration only needs 13 more votes to defeat a veto override.
