Israeli officials registered fierce opposition to an emerging international nuclear deal with Iran on Friday, making clear that the Obama administration faced the uncomfortable prospect of reaching an agreement with one of America's firmest enemies while overriding the objections of one of its firmest friends.
Backed by bipartisan supporters in Congress, Israel is casting a pall over what the White House had hoped was good news — a bargain for Iran to suspend most of its uranium enrichment for six months in exchange for a temporary easing of sanctions. Before meeting Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Friday, however, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the agreement would give up too much too early and that it threatened Israel's security.
"This is a very bad deal," Netanyahu said.
Kerry traveled from Israel to Switzerland, where he joined talks with Iranian and European foreign ministers in an attempt to narrow what he said were remaining differences in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. Kerry also bargained directly with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, a clear sign that the Obama administration prizes the deal, and the possibility of better U.S. relations with Iran, despite Israeli objections.
"I want to emphasize there are still some very important issues on the table that are unresolved," Kerry said in Geneva. "It is important for those to be properly, thoroughly addressed."
Kerry's brief remarks contained none of the hopeful rhetoric about a new day in U.S.-Iranian relations that he has voiced before, perhaps in deference to Israel. He did not make any public remarks in Israel, perhaps in hopes of avoiding a public confrontation with Netanyahu.
Netanyahu decided to go ahead with a statement on his own, in which he called the possible agreement the "deal of the century" for an undeserving Iran.
"Israel utterly rejects it, and many in the region share my opinion, whether or not they express that publicly," Netanyahu said. "Israel is not obliged by this agreement, and Israel will do everything it needs to do to defend itself and the security of its people."
In a further sign of U.S. alarm over the Israeli government reaction, President Obama called Netanyahu later Friday.
The angry Israeli response threatened a return to the more tumultuous U.S.-Israeli relationship that characterized much of Obama's first term. Tensions between the two countries had improved during the president's second term, and much of the animosity between him and Netanyahu was seen to have faded. Kerry, too, has invested significant diplomatic capital in advancing peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
The renewed tensions over Iran threatened to undermine the goodwill inspired by the U.S.-brokered peace talks and increase congressional pressure on Obama to do more for Israel.
"The United States and Israel are in complete agreement about the need to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," White House deputy press secretary Joshua Earnest said Friday.
