I hesitated to weigh in on this issue [of The New York Times Syndicate publishing a cartoon widely perceived as anti-Semitic]. But the angry reaction has continued in these pages.
When I first saw the cartoon of Netanyahu as Trump’s attack dog, my reaction was — well, that hurts but there is a strong element of truth to it. How are American interests advanced by terminating the Iran nuclear deal? It is far from obvious that termination served Israel’s best interests. Is a nuclear-armed Iran really preferable? Unfortunately, Trump is more aware of Sheldon Adelson’s wealth than the polls showing the feelings of the majority of American Jewish voters.
We now have a situation where Iran is freed of treaty obligations to dismantle their nuclear weapons development program. We have alienated our European allies, and they are united against our efforts to starve the Iranian population into a revolt against their leaders. We have a carrier strike fleet operating in the Persian Gulf, taunting Iran and risking a slight miscalculation that could result in military action from which only Netanyahu politically gains.
Iran now threatens to renew uranium enrichment and Secretary of State Pompeo threatens to retaliate. Iran will become more dangerous as we push the leadership into a corner. The much-maligned cartoon is prescient, not anti-Semitic, and is a sharp rebuke of a disastrous “policy.”
Carmel, N.Y.
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