American Diplomat Says Defending Israel Tougher Without 2-State Commitment
Image by Getty Images
A new Israeli government that does not back a two-state solution will make the U.S. job of defending Israel “a lot tougher,” according to a top State Department official.
Wendy Sherman, the undersecretary of state leading Iran talks, on Monday addressed the biennial of the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center.
“We have always had Israel’s back in the international arena,” Sherman said, but noted caveats about a two-state solution expressed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during March elections.
“We will be watching very closely to see what happens after a government is formed on this issue,” she said. “If a new Israeli government is seen as stepping back from its commitment to a two-state solution — something all of you and vast majority American Jews support — that makes our job in the international community a lot tougher.”
Sherman also strongly defended the nuclear talks between Iran and major powers.
“We will have eyes into every part of Iran’s nuclear program from cradle to grave,” she said of a nuclear agreement with a June 30 deadline. “If we detect Iran is trying to break its commitments or violate the agreement, we will have every single option on the table.”
Sherman cast her work on the agreement, which has drawn sharp objections from Netanyahu and Republicans, as in line with her upbringing in Baltimore’s Reform Jewish community.
“Every time I hear President Obama talk, I’m always struck about how personally he feels about those issues,” she said, referring to issues of concern to Jews and Israel. “This deep-seated feeling is what drives his unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. It’s also what drives this administration’s approach to the Iranian nuclear threat. We understand Israel is in a tough neighborhood. That’s why we’ve given Israel more security assistance than any other admin in history.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
