Hot Topic: Iran
The Iranian regime under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has become a growing threat to security and stability throughout the Middle East and around the world. Their support of terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Shiite militias in Iraq and Afghanistan undermine efforts to achieve peaceful resolutions to local conflicts, and contribute to religious and factional violence that threaten American troops and Israel.
Iran’s patronage of Hezbollah and alliance with Syria has brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war and caused untold hardship to Lebanon’s civilians. Their financial support for Hamas and Islamic Jihad strengthens these terrorist groups and gives them the means to commit heinous, violent acts against Israeli citizens, undermining efforts by both Israel and moderate forces among the Palestinians to resume peace talks.
The quest for hegemony over the Persian Gulf region by Iran through acquisition of nuclear weapons capability is a threat to the entire world. While there are disagreements over when they will achieve nuclear independence, there is little debate over their true objective. Whatever the timeline, efforts must be increased to stop Iran from successfully becoming a nuclear power.
Finally, but certainly not of less importance is Ahmadinejad’s continual calls for Israel’s destruction and his Holocaust denial rhetoric. The two are intertwined. His rejection of the truth of the Holocaust is linked to his attempt to de-legitimize the existence of the State of Israel. This destructive rhetoric poisons the minds of peoples throughout the Middle East, increasing hatred toward Jews, Israel and the West.
Read the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County's JCRC Opinion Piece on Iranian Sanctions
Resources:
Text of UN Security Council Resolution 1929, June 9, 2010
Iran, China, and the Israeli Stick, December 22, 2009, INSS
The IAEA Report on Iran, November 16, 2009, International Atomic Energy Agency