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George Rooks

Do the Iranian Nuclear Talks Remind You of Anything?

Do the talks between the United States and Iran about the Iranian nuclear weapons program remind you of anything?

Hmm. Let’s see.

The talks with Iran have been going on for over a decade.

The Iranians have not conceded anything of importance.

Nevertheless, the U.S. has made concession after concession–even to the point of paying the Iranians through the release of frozen funds–to stay at the so-called “negotiating table.”

Isn’t this exactly the same pattern that the United States has employed with the Palestinians?

For years, the U.S. has arm-twisted Israelis to “negotiate” with Mahmoud Abbas and the PLO.

During all this time, the Palestinians have not conceded anything.

They have adamantly refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. They have adamantly refused to compromise on the issue of so-called “Palestinian refugees”. They have adamantly refused peace offer after peace offer which would give them a Palestinian state on 96% of the land they supposedly seek with land swaps in Israel for the other 4%.

Nevertheless, Israel continues to make concession after concession.

Israel froze construction in Judea and Samaria for almost a year. Israel released a river of Palestinian terrorist murderers. Israel continues supplying electricity, water, and medical services to the Palestinians for free (at least until last week). And still, the United States declares that Israel must make more concessions so that the Palestinians will continue “talking about peace.”

It is patently absurd.

There are some hilarious (to those of us in Israel) reports out of Lausanne today* that Western diplomats are exasperated with John Kerry’s willingness to talk to the Iranians without end. One diplomat commented: “John Kerry does not demand anything from them.” The same diplomat continued that because “there is nothing to talk to the Iranians about” a large part of the European delegation has left–along with the Russian and Chinese delegations.

But Kerry keeps talking. And talking. And talking. And Israel is supposed to continue talking endlessly to the Palestinians. The Iranians won’t concede anything, and neither will the Palestinians.

Why shouldn’t the Iranians sign another agreement to extend the deadline yet again? Why not sign some vague agreement that will enable them to keep their program up and running and at the same time lessen the economic sanctions?

Meanwhile, the Iranian centrifuges continue spinning.

*The diplomat’s comments were reported on Israel Army Radio.

About the Author
George Rooks is a retired faculty member of the University of California, Davis. A lifelong writer, he has been writing the israelstreet.org blog for more than two years with readers in more than 100 countries. Long time chairman of the largest committee in his synagogue back in northern California, he directs numerous Israel advocacy projects in his locale and is a well-known speaker in the area. He and his wife live half of each year in California and half in Ashdod.