New Brunswick—New Jersey Governor and Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie stood alongside Jewish leaders at Rutgers University’s Chabad House this week as he called on New Jersey Senator Cory Booker to oppose the Iran nuclear deal.
“For those who have not announced a position, particularly my friend Senator Cory Booker, this cannot be about politics and accepting the flawed idea that a bad deal is better than no deal,” Christie said. “The people of this state, this country and the world are counting on you to be a strong and moral voice.”
Christie listed several reasons why he is opposed to the Iran deal and why he urges congressional delegates to oppose it.
“There’s so much focus, and rightfully so, on Iran’s direct threat to Israel,” he said. “But let us not for a moment, as Americans, think that this conduct stops at Israel. That conduct is intended for us as well. Iran seeks nothing less than the re-establishment and expansion of a Persian empire that will dominate the world through an imposition upon the rest of the world of the most radical of its religious values.”
Another problem with this deal, he stated, is the 24-day notice inspectors can give to the Iranians before inspecting a suspected nuclear site.
“They will play hide the ball, like they’ve been playing hide the ball with us and the international community ever since this regime came into power in the late 1970s, and they will not change their conduct one bit,” said Christie. “The president cannot point, neither can Secretary Kerry or Secretary Clinton, who supports this deal—they cannot point to one objective fact that shows the change in Iranian conduct.”
Finally, Christie said he was deeply suspicious of the partner the international community has chosen in a side deal to self-inspect: the revolutionary guard, which he calls “the elite military group in Iran that plans and plots with terrorist organizations around the world to kill innocent people.”
Rabbi Shmuely Boteach, who helped organize the event, added about this side deal, “This is a government that has lied to the world for twelve years about the Iranian nuclear program. Do we want them to self-inspect?”
Rabbi Shalom Baum, a Teaneck resident, Mara d’Asra of Congregation Keter Torah and the president of the Rabbinical Council of America, agreed. “When we are dealing with an enemy like Iran, they can’t be trusted to call their own ‘fouls,’ to self-police. They need enforcers to prosecute them when they will step out of line,” he said. “A deal without enforcement is no deal at all.”
Christie reiterated, “It’s not about party, it’s about the security of the American people, the security of the Israeli people and the security of all our allies around the world. We cannot permit a treacherous, murderous, deceitful regime to possess the most dangerous weapon the world has ever invented. To me that’s not anything other than common sense.”
Boteach explained that “in just ten years, 15 years, Iran will have the legal international sanction to enrich uranium to weapons-grade level, with the international community unable to do absolutely anything.”
Dr.Ben Chouake, Norpac’s president, pointed to the additional danger of Iran using its windfall from the lifting of sanctions to fund terrorism.
“Iran, as we all agree, is the leading state sponsor of terrorism—a mortal enemy of America and its allies,” said Chouake.
By lifting these sanctions, he said, “We will have to contend with a wealthier Iran that will use its recouped resources to dominate its neighbors and to facilitate more mischief in the region and the world.”
“Even the administration openly acknowledges [it] will certainly be used for terror activity throughout the world to kill innocent men, women and children,” said Boteach.
Finally, Christie urges all New Jersey residents and U.S. citizens who oppose the Iran deal to lobby their congressional delegates to oppose this deal and to oppose President Barack Obama’s veto.
By Tova Domnitch
