The bad agreement between the United States and Iran has become the central subject of articles and statements by commentators of every kind. Many are analyzing the deal, explaining what it contains and, more importantly, what it does not contain. But good or bad, the agreement is not worth the paper on which it will be written.
Only a naive nation, lacking experience and international understanding, such as the United States, could agree to the demands, conditions and promises the Iranians have showered upon it.
There is one fact that must be remembered: Iran will never give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons. At most, it will agree, out of necessity, to slow the pace, hide its activity or perhaps delay it by a few years. Its promises and commitments are worth nothing, and it could move its entire nuclear program to one of the countries in the “axis of evil.” The nuclear dream is a central part of Iran’s worldview and plans for the future.
I am surprised by commentators whose memories are so short that they forget how Israel itself built Dimona. During part of the process, Israel received major assistance from France, which supplied the nuclear reactor, lent us uranium and sent scientists and engineers to Israel. They lived in Beersheba and worked in Dimona for about two years. They were secretly recruited by the French government and lived in Israel under assumed names.
I happened to discover that a future French defense minister, Robert Galley, an engineer by profession, spent more than a year in Beersheba under a false name and traveled every morning to the Dimona reactor. After some time, when President Charles de Gaulle came to power, he decided to put an end to cooperation with Israel.
Even then, in the 1960s, international pressure was applied on Israel to stop the process. At the head of the world leaders pressuring Israel was U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who saw it as his historic mission to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons around the world. Kennedy sent letters filled with warnings and various threats to David Ben-Gurion and to his successor, Levi Eshkol. Neither gave in.
Iran-US talks summit in Switzerland
(Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool)
Even then, the heads of the nuclear project carried out operations of concealment and deception toward American experts who were allowed to visit Dimona. Even then, Israel’s prime ministers issued dramatic assurances that the reactor being built in Dimona was intended for peaceful purposes and scientific research.
The emerging agreement today between Iran and the United States is, in effect, a promise to Israel that every few years, and under far worse conditions, we will be forced into another round of war against Iran and its proxies. As long as the extremist regime currently ruling Iran remains in power, Iran will not give up its nuclear project, its creation of a deadly missile arsenal or its dream of destroying Israel, now joined by a chilling desire for revenge.
Dr. Michael Bar-ZoharIt is sad to see some of America’s leaders and envoys huddling with Pakistanis, Qataris, Iranians and other Muslims in discussions aimed at achieving “peace” in the Middle East. It is sad to see the Americans praising the mediation of Qatar, Iran’s friend, and Pakistan, which in practice helped establish the Iranian project.
America will sign the bad agreement, Vice President Vance will boast of its clauses, and President Trump will announce that the Iranians are actually good guys. The current conflict will end with an arrangement that is excellent for Iran and bad for everyone else, first and foremost Israel.
And when the Americans realize they have been deceived, they will not send another army to the region. They will simply register another glorious failure, like Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and more.
The Iranian existential threat will hover over our heads as long as this regime rules Iran. The only way to prevent Israel from having to attack Iran every few years is to bring down the current regime. Only a different regime, one not led by an extremist military-religious sect, will truly give up the dream of developing nuclear weapons and destroying Israel.
Dr. Michael Bar-Zohar is a historian and former Knesset member.