NJDC: Administration serious about Iran

The new president of the National Jewish Democratic Council, David A. Harris, argues in the Huffington Post that the Obama administration, with both the president’s meeting with Jewish leaders on Monday and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speech on Wednesday, showed this week it is taking the Iranian threat seriously:

Between Obama on Monday and Clinton’s lengthy and detailed address on Wednesday, we have multiple fresh reminders that this administration fully grasps the seriousness of the looming Iranian nuclear threat — and repeated clear assertions that the United States will not stand by and let this come to pass. And between these two critical reassurances, we’re reminded that this administration knows full well that they’re not simply going to open a dialogue with Iran, and then all will be fine and dandy. Again, they’ve made patently clear that they’re opening a window — a very narrow, time-limited window — for engagement, which will only make our hand that much stronger if and when we need to work with our allies to apply sanctions and turn to other means to prevent Iran from acquiring military nuclear capability.

American Jews — like many other Americans — are right to be nervous about Iran’s intentions here. Iran has a squirrelly track record, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad … well, not much more needs to be said about him and his Holocaust-denying, Israel-threatening ways. A nuclear-armed Iran poses an existential threat to Israel, and a clear and present danger to America as well. The American Jewish leaders who met with Obama on Monday widely applauded the president’s vision and comments regarding Iran, and Clinton’s address on Wednesday only puts more meat on the bone.

If anyone hasn’t gotten the message loud and clear from this administration — essentially "no nuclear Iran, not on our watch" — then they’re not listening.