My op-ed in The Jewish Press about the murder of the 3 young Israeli boys

The following is an op-ed that I wrote, which appeared in The Jewish Press, in which I talk about the heinous murder of the 3 young Israeli boys and the unity that we witnessed during this terrible ordeal:

THE BEAUTY OF JEWISH UNITY

 

By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.

 

It could have been our child. When 19-year-old Eyal Yifrach, 16-year-old Gilad Shaar and 16-year-old Naftali Frenkel were abducted as they waited for a ride to take them home to their families for Shabbat after spending a week studying at their yeshivot, we were all shaken. Every one of us felt that a piece of our heart and soul had been taken away by the terrorists who snatched the three innocent teenage students. As we watched the parents of the boys speak out publicly about their sons’ kidnapping, we all thought the same thing – that could have been us. And when we learned of the boys’ tragic fate earlier this week, we grieved alongside their families and felt their pain.

 

Historically, in times of crisis, Jews have generally come together. Irrespective of where any particular person is on the religious spectrum, we as a people band together when faced with a challenging situation. Religious and political ideologies are often laid aside when confronted with a trying set of circumstances, such as the one that we are grappling with now.

 

We remember all too well the torment we endured when Gilad Shalit was taken captive. After he was abducted by Hamas and then spent five years in captivity, we came together as a people. We prayed for his return and we suffered together with his parents until he was finally reunited with his family.

 

The situation we found ourselves dealing with over the past several weeks is equally as trying, and perhaps even more so. The boys who were abducted and then brutally murdered were not soldiers; they were students. They could have been our students.

 

Nothing is more precious to us than our children. We raise them, we nurture them, we educate them, and we love them. We would do anything to protect them. By grabbing Eyal, Gilad and Naftali and killing them in a cowardly and barbaric fashion, Hamas demonstrated the despicable depths to which they will sink to terrorize the State of Israel and the Jewish nation. The heartless and heinous kidnapping and murder that was perpetrated by Hamas is a sobering reminder that the terrorists will do anything in their power to strike at the very essence of the Jewish people.

 

And yet, despite the odious nature of this terrorist act, we refuse to let it break our spirit. We as Jews respond to a crisis and a tragedy the only way we know how – together.

 

Before we learned of their tragic death, Jews throughout the world took to the various social media platforms to raise awareness of the boys’ plight and the horrific act that turned our worlds upside down. #BringBackOurBoys and #EyalGiladNaftali were trending on Twitter. There was an outpouring of support from people around the world for the boys and widespread sympathy for the anguish that their families feel. We all talked about the need to bring back not the boys, but our boys.

 

As Jews, we also did what we should always do when confronted with an urgent situation such as this – we prayed. People across the globe gathered for prayer vigils and to recite Psalms in communal gatherings. We joined together to cry out and appeal for the swift and safe return of our boys.

 

Eyal, Gilad and Naftali may not have been our biological children, but they were our boys. They were young, innocent students who merited our full support and deserved our unconditional love and concern.

 

As the parent of a daughter, who, like Gilad and Naftali is 16-years-old, and who spent this year studying at a high school in Israel, this episode hit especially close to home. When she returns to Israel in the fall to begin another school year there, the abduction and murder of the three boys will be foremost in my mind.

 

I will be thinking about it not because I am in any way worried about my daughter, but because I understand that the fact that she wants to be in Israel and go to school there is proof that the terrorists cannot and will not win. There will always be young men and women, families, and seniors who want to travel to Israel, to be a part of Israel, and to live in Israel. That unquenchable desire to be in Israel is a testament to the resiliency that we have as a people and the undying love that we have for the Jewish State.

 

The Jewish unity that has been on full display during this terrible ordeal is a thing of sheer beauty. The torment that the Yifrach, Shaar, and Frenkel families have endured is unimaginable. Yet, despite Hamas’ evil intentions and monstrous actions, they have unintentionally caused Jews from all walks of life to come together. We tried to do everything in our power to bring our boys home, and now that they are gone, we continue to stand united with the victims’ families and we voice our collective outrage at the vicious terrorist act that claimed their lives.

 

We are one nation and one family. The tragic loss of Eyal, Gilad and Naftali is felt by each and every one of us. We will not rest until our boys’ killers are brought to justice and held accountable for their unspeakable crime.

 

N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler

 

The Beauty of Jewish Unity

The following is my latest column in The Jewish Link of Bergen County, in which I extol the virtues of Jewish unity and discuss how it is on full display in the aftermath of the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers:

 

THE BEAUTY OF JEWISH UNITY

 

By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.

 

It could have been our child. When 19-year-old Eyal Yifrach, 16-year-old Gilad Shaar and 16-year-old Naftali Frenkel were abducted as they waited for a ride to take them home to their families for Shabbat after spending a week studying at their yeshivot, we were all shaken. Every one of us felt that a piece of our heart and soul had been taken away by the terrorists who snatched the three innocent teenage students. As we watched the parents of the boys speak out publicly about their sons’ kidnapping, we all thought the same thing – that could have been us.

 

Historically, in times of crisis, Jews have generally come together. Irrespective of where any particular person is on the religious spectrum, we as a people band together when faced with a challenging and trying situation. Religious and political ideologies are often laid aside when confronted with an emergency situation, such as the one that we are grappling with now.

 

We remember all too well the torment we endured when Gilad Shalit was taken captive. After he was abducted by Hamas and then spent five years in captivity, we came together as a people. We prayed for his return and we suffered together with his parents until he was finally reunited with his family.

 

The situation we find ourselves in now is equally as trying, and perhaps even more so. The boys who were abducted are not soldiers; they are students. They could have been our students.

 

Nothing is more precious to us than our children. We raise them, we nurture them, we educate them, and we love them. We would do anything to protect them. By grabbing Eyal, Gilad and Naftali, Hamas demonstrated the despicable depths to which they will sink to terrorize the State of Israel and the Jewish nation. The heartless and heinous kidnapping that was perpetrated by Hamas is a sobering reminder that the terrorists will do anything in their power to strike at the very essence of the Jewish people.

 

And yet, despite the odious nature of this terrorist act, we refuse to let it break our spirit. We as Jews respond to a crisis the only way we know how – together.

 

Jews throughout the world took to the various social media platforms to raise awareness of the boys’ plight and the horrific act that turned our worlds upside down. #BringBackOurBoys and #EyalGiladNaftali were trending on Twitter. There was an outpouring of support from people around the world for the boys and widespread sympathy for the anguish that their families feel. We all talked about the need to bring back not the boys, but our boys.

 

As Jews, we also did what we should always do when confronted with an urgent situation such as this – we prayed. People across the globe gathered for prayer vigils and to recite Psalms in communal gatherings. We joined together to cry out and appeal for the swift and safe return of our boys.

 

Eyal, Gilad and Naftali may not be our biological children, but they are our boys. They are young, innocent students who merit our full support and deserve our unconditional love and concern.

 

As the parent of a daughter, who, like Gilad and Naftali is 16-years-old, and who spent this year studying at a high school in Israel, this episode hit especially close to home. When she returns to Israel in the fall to begin another school year there, the abduction of the three boys will be foremost in my mind.

 

I will be thinking about it not because I am in any way worried about my daughter, but because I understand that the fact that she wants to be in Israel and go to school there is proof that the terrorists cannot and will not win. There will always be young men and women, families, and seniors who want to travel to Israel, to be a part of Israel, and to live in Israel. That unquenchable desire to be in Israel is a testament to the resiliency that we have as a people and the undying love that we have for the Jewish State.

 

The Jewish unity that has been on full display during this terrible ordeal is a thing of sheer beauty. The torment that Eyal, Gilad and Naftali and their families are going through is unimaginable. Yet, despite Hamas’ evil intentions and monstrous actions, they have unintentionally caused Jews from all walks of life to come together to do everything in our power to bring our boys home.

 

We are one nation and one family. The safety and well-being of Eyal, Gilad and Naftali is of paramount concern to each and every one of us. We will not rest until our boys are home.

 

N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler

 

Giving The Palestinians Yet Another Pass

The following is my latest column in The Jewish Link of Bergen County, in which I question the United States’ perplexing decision to work with the new unity government that was formed by the Palestinian Authority and the terrorist organization Hamas:

 

Giving The Palestinians Yet Another Pass

 

By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.

 

Diplomacy is a complex exercise. Decisions made in the context of a diplomatic situation are often fraught with challenges and the implications of a determination that eventually proves to be erroneous could be dire.

 

One such diplomatic decision that very well may have lasting repercussions is the United States’ perplexing pronouncement that it is willing to work with the new unity government that has been formed by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

 

Hamas and its terrorist tendencies are well known to the United States and to the world. As a terrorist organization that openly calls for the obliteration of the State of Israel and relishes the opportunity to perpetrate deadly acts of terror against innocent civilians, Hamas’ involvement in a unity government with Fatah is particularly troubling. With its violent background and detestable views towards the Israel and the Jewish nation, any government that includes Hamas as a partner should be shunned by the international community. Yet, the United States somehow concluded that it makes diplomatic sense to give Hamas a chance. As Israel’s leaders rushed to decry the new unity government, the United States rushed to embrace it.

 

What makes the United States’ decision so much more disconcerting is that it reportedly informed Israel that it would take a “wait and see” approach with the unity government, and then did an abrupt about-face, thereby paving the way for the European Union and the United Nations to also indicate a willingness to accept the unity government.

 

How is it that the United States was fooled so easily? Although Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and the Fatah leadership are quick to note that none of the initial members of the new government are part of Hamas, we all know who is pulling the strings in this puppet show. Moreover, when there are elections for the new unity government, who is to say that Hamas won’t step in and assert its power in order to secure the governmental seats that it covets?

 

Just as the world would certainly not recognize nor collaborate with a government that was established and openly supported by a terrorist group such as Al Qaeda, so too the international community should not accept a government in which Hamas plays a vital role.

 

It is important to recognize that a terrorist in a business suit is still a terrorist. Members of Hamas will continue to harbor extreme animosity towards Israel, regardless of whether they are part of a governing body or building bombs in an explosives factory. These are the same people that celebrated the recent abduction of three Israeli students in a tasteless and appalling display of callous indifference as the boys’ families and an entire nation were forced to endure indescribable pain and anguish.

 

And what about Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority? Why is it that they continually get a pass from the United States after repeatedly taking steps that run counter to Israel’s best interests?

 

The decision by Abbas to embrace Hamas is an affront not just to Israel, but to the entire diplomatic community, and I believe that there must be consequences for having made that choice. Once again, Mahmoud Abbas has thumbed his nose at the United States and at the peace process, but the ramifications do not appear to be forthcoming.

 

It is time for Abbas to face the music for his actions. Even after Abbas defied the United States’ wishes and unilaterally went to the United Nations in an effort to achieve statehood, there was no diminution in U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority. Following Abbas’ decision to walk away from the peace process, there were no consequences. Although Abbas has funneled money received from the United States and intended for foreign aid to the families of terrorists who murdered Israelis, there have been no penalties imposed on him.

 

Now that Abbas has embraced Hamas and empowered them, it is incomprehensible that the United States would once again proceed without duly castigating him. It is time for the United States to stand up to Mahmoud Abbas and penalize him accordingly. For example, if Congress was to immediately defund the Palestinian Authority, it would send a clear message that embracing Hamas and endorsing their terrorist ways has grave ramifications. In fact, the language in the United States’ annual appropriations bills, which restricts the delivery of financial aid to the Palestinian Authority in the event that there is a power-sharing government between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, seems to inherently preclude the United States from continuing to fund them with hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

 

And let us not forget for a moment where some of the American dollars flowing into the Palestinian Authority ultimately end up. It is inconceivable that the United States would keep sending hundreds of millions of dollars each year to the Palestinian Authority so that it can continue perpetuating incitement through its hate-based educational curriculum and providing a safe haven for terrorists who it celebrates as heroes.

 

The United States should reconsider its decision to take a “wait and see” approach with the unity government, and instead issue a swift condemnation of this deadly union with a dangerous terrorist organization. With its track record of murder and mayhem, Hamas is not worthy of the United States’ trust, nor does any government with which Hamas is associated deserve the United States’ backing.

 

I hope that the United States will see through the façade that has been created by Hamas and take the necessary steps to protect the people of Israel, and not the people who want to destroy Israel.

 

N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler

 

Omitting The Obvious

The following is my latest column in The Jewish Link of Bergen County, in which I discuss the most recent hurdle encountered by Governor Chris Christie on his way to the White House – yet another Israel gaffe:

 

OMITTING THE OBVIOUS

 

By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.

 

For Chris Christie, it was a chance at redemption. After his last big appearance at a Jewish event ended in controversy following his utilization of a provocative term to describe the Judea and Samaria region in Israel, the New Jersey Governor and Republican presidential hopeful was expected to make amends when he took to the podium as a featured speaker at yet another high-profile Jewish affair.

 

The posh awards dinner in Manhattan for The Values Network, which was founded by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, featured an array of impressive guests and speakers. Among those in attendance was Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson, Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, actor Sean Penn, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, and Jewish philanthropist and Birthright founder Michael Steindhardt.

 

The event was a perfect opportunity for Chris Christie to prove that his “occupied territories” gaffe was an anomaly and that his support for Israel is strong and unwavering.

 

Yet, when Governor Christie delivered his remarks in a speech that was laden with foreign policy references, he inexplicably left out a key word that left the crowd scratching their heads in bewilderment and wondering what had just happened.

 

Throughout his 16-minute speech, Christie did not mention the word “Israel” once. At no time during his remarks did he directly refer to the Jewish State by name.

 

Consider the implications of Chris Christie’s decision. This well-publicized gala was widely perceived as a pro-Israel event. The crowd in attendance was overwhelmingly pro-Israel. In fact, the public relations firm that promoted the “Champions of Jewish Values International Awards Gala” for The Values Network in advance of the event declared that Christie would deliver a “major speech on Israel and the Middle East.”

 

Despite that, in what could only be described as an enigmatic decision, Christie concluded that not specifically referencing Israel was somehow a good idea.

 

Christie’s glaring omission became even more evident after Rick Perry, another Republican governor that is angling for the GOP presidential nod, delivered an impassioned address that invoked Israel at every turn. Governor Perry talked about his numerous trips to Israel, empathically stated that the United States must renew its commitment to a strong Israel, and noted that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state.

 

The road to the White House is inevitably replete with pitfalls. With the spotlight of the world illuminating their every move, presidential candidates will unquestionably stumble and fall on occasion.

 

Often, the hurdles that cause presidential candidates to falter are complex public policy issues that prove to be challenging to navigate successfully. Yet, seldom does a presidential candidate trip and fall over an issue that on its face appears to be a no-brainer.

 

To be clear, I am not questioning Chris Christie’s position on Israel. As I wrote after his blunder at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Annual Spring Conference in Las Vegas, that troubling incident was in no way evidence that Christie is anti-Israel; rather, it demonstrated that he needs to be better prepared.

 

In my opinion, the same statement holds true today. Chris Christie’s bizarre choice to omit the word “Israel” from his recent speech was both curious and confounding, but it is not indicative of how he feels about the Jewish State. What Christie’s latest faux pas does is call into question the Governor’s judgment and his readiness to step out onto the national stage.

 

No one can honestly tell me that leaving Israel out of a speech to a pro-Israel crowd at a pro-Israel event is a good idea. I doubt that anyone can convince me that it makes any sense whatsoever.

 

In the aftermath of Governor Christie’s recent address, one of his closest friends and top political advisers, Bill Palatucci, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying that when it comes to Israel, Christie has a strong record of support. “He’s well known to be supportive,” said Palatucci. “He doesn’t need to wear it on his sleeve every time he’s in front of a Jewish group.”

 

There is some truth to that statement. As Jews, we certainly do not need to be pandered to by every politician who is seeking our support. However, there is a big difference between Chris Christie “wearing his support for Israel on his sleeve” and sidestepping the topic altogether. There is a happy medium, but Governor Christie has apparently not yet come to that realization.

 

A word of advice to Governor Christie: in the future, when addressing a pro-Israel crowd, do not ignore Israel. In this instance, omitting the obvious was not a prudent political approach.

 

N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler

 

Where In The World Is Chris Christie?

The following is my latest column in The Jewish Link of Bergen County, in which I delve into New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s frequent out of state travel and discuss how it impacts his ability to lead the Garden State:

Where In The World Is Chris Christie?

By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.

When voters in the Garden State overwhelmingly elected Chris Christie to a second term last November, they did so presumably because they thought that he was the best person to lead New Jersey into the future. They ostensibly believed that Governor Christie would demonstrate the same leadership qualities and focus on New Jersey that they felt he exhibited during his first term. Little did they know that Christie’s second term would be vastly different.

Let’s put Bridgegate, which has absolutely rocked the Christie administration since his reelection, on the back burner for the moment. Instead, let’s focus on the Governor’s attendance record.

As Chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Christie traverses the country on a regular basis in order to meet with key GOP personnel and raise funds for Republican candidates. And with his not so subtle presidential plans, Chris Christie’s travel activities have been occurring at a frenetic pace.

Over the past three months, Governor Christie has spent part or all of 25 days out of state, attending an array of political events aimed at bolstering his national image and positioning himself as a serious contender for the Republican nomination for president. Christie’s travels have taken him to Republican Governors Association events in Maine, Florida, Utah, Nevada, Michigan, and Georgia. He also attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland, the White House Correspondents’ Association Annual Dinner in Washington, DC, and the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Spring Conference in Las Vegas.

An analysis by The New York Times in August 2013 found that Christie had been out of New Jersey at least 91 days over the past year, which equated to approximately 24% of the time. In response, John Currie, the Chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, offered a scathing critique of Christie’s absenteeism. “New Jersey voters deserve to know why their Governor has spent nearly 1 in 4 days of the last year outside New Jersey,” Currie said.

In March 2013, Barbara Buono, who was Christie’s opponent in the 2013 gubernatorial election, tried to make his seemingly incessant travel a campaign issue, noting that the Governor spent an inordinate amount of time out of state over the past two years.

In May 2012, The New Jersey Star-Ledger reported Christie had spent 54 days in the past eight months out of state.

Many of us remember Christie’s infamous Orlando vacation in December 2010, when he was mingling with Mickey Mouse at Disneyworld while New Jerseyans endured a brutal blizzard that crippled the Garden State.

To be fair, Chris Christie is not the first governor to spend a lot of time outside of his home state.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who, like Chris Christie, is believed to have presidential aspirations, spent 86 days out of state in 2012, which equals approximately one out of every four days.

Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee for president, spent part or all of 417 days out of state during his four-year tenure as Governor of Massachusetts. In October 2006, then Governor Romney spent part or all of an astounding 25 days out of state.

In 2011, Texas Governor Rick Perry spent approximately 80 days away from his home state. To add insult to injury, from the time Perry announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president on August 13, 2011 through January 2012 when he suspended his campaign, Texas taxpayers spent an astounding $3.6 million to provide security for Perry as he traveled around the country for his presidential run.

In a glaring contrast to Chris Christie’s globetrotting style, his counterpart on the other side of the Hudson River, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, rarely leaves his home state. Cuomo, who some have speculated may harbor presidential ambitions, has shunned the national spotlight, eschewed national media appearances, and foregone out of state vacations in favor of respites with his family in the Empire State. Andrew Cuomo’s actions send a clear message that he has a job to do in New York, and the national stage, which may indeed have a spot reserved for the popular governor, will just have to wait until he completes the task at hand.

Ancillary to Christie’s frequent out of state excursions is the issue of the cost of his trips. In fact, a reporter for the New Jersey Watchdog is currently suing the Governor in an attempt to obtain records from Christie’s office that would indicate who has paid for his outings and how much they cost.

The fact is that Chris Christie’s national ambitions should not come as a surprise. They were already apparent several years ago, which led the late Senator Frank Lautenberg to note in September 2012, that, “Governor Christie’s first priority is not New Jersey, his first priority is his national ambitions.”

The frequency of Christie’s trips outside of New Jersey is unquestionably a cause for concern. As he grapples with the recent downgrading of New Jersey’s debt and an additional $807 million budget shortfall, which brings the state’s total budget deficit to over $1 billion, it would behoove the Governor to put his out of state trips on hold and stick around for a while until he can properly address New Jersey’s budget woes and ensure that its fiscal situation is in order.

With his constant out of state travel, many New Jersey residents feel that they are the forgotten child and get the sense that their Governor leaves the issues that are important to New Jersey in the rearview mirror each and every time he leaves his home state.

When New Jersey voters reelected Chris Christie, they weren’t looking for a long distance relationship or an absentee governor. They were seeking someone to lead, not leave.

Where in the world is Chris Christie? Odds are, these days, it’s not in New Jersey.

Governor Christie, you need to come back home. I know the bright lights of the national stage are a big draw, but the fact is that you have a job to do in New Jersey.

N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler

Save Face Or Save The World?

The following is my latest post on The Times of Israel blog, in which I take a look at the latest news concerning Iran's nuclear weapons pursuits:

 

Save Face Or Save The World?

 

As the diplomatic efforts of the United States and other world powers continue to evolve, Iran’s ability to achieve nuclear weapons capabilities endures.

 

Following the execution of the Joint Plan of Action (JPA) in January 2014, the clock began ticking on an interim deal that theoretically would impair Iran’s capacity to produce nuclear weaponry. In return, Iran received significant sanctions relief.

 

On its face, the JPA is indeed an important step in the ongoing effort to curtail Iran’s longstanding nuclear pursuit. However, the devil is in the details, and in reality, the JPA is a toothless plan that in all probability will not achieve its desired effect.

 

The terms of the JPA will not fully prevent Iran from pursuing its nuclear ambitions. It may hinder their ability to do so to a certain extent, yet, it does not inhibit them from continuing to take certain steps in furtherance of their ultimate nuclear goals. Iran can continue enriching uranium, albeit at a reduced rate, and continue to maintain its centrifuges. As it stands currently, Iran is reportedly a mere several months away from having enough enriched uranium to produce a nuclear bomb.

 

Despite the interim agreement that is in place, for Iran, it is essentially business as usual for its ambitious and aggressive nuclear program.

 

The failure of the JPA to mandate a complete cessation of Iran’s uranium enrichment activities and the absence of a requirement that they dismantle their nuclear facilities, while simultaneously providing Iran with a respite from the sanctions, has the potential to further exacerbate the Iranian nuclear threat.

 

Although the United States’ mantra regarding Iran has been to give peace a chance, the fact is that Iran has not proven itself to be an honest broker. As the world’s most prominent state sponsor of terror, Iran continues to finance terrorist activities through its proxies, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and terrorists throughout the world. Its continued support of the Syrian government, which has carried out mass killings of innocent citizens, is confounding , and its brazen attempt several months ago to ship a cache of deadly weapons to Islamist militants in Gaza for probable use against Israeli cities and citizens was shocking.

 

Diplomatic overtures have been made, yet Iran has responded with actions and deeds that demonstrate an utter disdain for the process and for the attempt to achieve any semblance of a peaceful resolution to its nuclear situation.

 

In light of all this, Iran and other world powers are meeting in Vienna to try and break the impasse and achieve a final resolution as to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and capabilities.

 

What I found particularly troubling was something that I read in The New York Times on May 13th in an article entitled “Nuclear Talks Will Confront Iran’s Future Capability to Enrich Uranium.”

 

“As Ms. Rice (referring to Susan E. Rice, the National Security Advisor) and Ms. Sherman (referring to Wendy Sherman, the chief American negotiator) have told American lawmakers and outside experts, the key is to leave Iran with a face-saving nuclear infrastructure [emphasis added] that would allow its clerics and the nation’s Revolutionary Guards commanders the ability to argue that they have not given up the right to produce nuclear fuel, but with a small enough capability that the White House can overcome Congressional objections.

 

A “face-saving nuclear infrastructure?” Is that the objective here? Pardon my naiveté, but I would have thought that the goal would be not to save face, but to save the world.

 

We need to forget about helping Iran save face and instead focus on ensuring that the terms of the final agreement truly eliminate any possibility that they will have the wherewithal to construct nuclear weaponry. We must concentrate on making sure that Iran’s research and development program related to its centrifuges is terminated. We have to emphasize the importance of enabling monitoring personnel from the International Atomic Energy Agency to access Iran’s nuclear facilities without any restrictions whatsoever so they can get an accurate picture of exactly what Iran is doing on the nuclear front.

 

There is no doubt that a nuclear Iran poses a serious threat to Israel, to the Middle East region, and to the world at large. All of us would undoubtedly be better served if the international community came together and put Iran’s feet to the fire with the threat of stronger sanctions and perhaps the use of a military operation if Iran fails to forego its pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

 

With so much at stake, helping Iran save face should certainly not be a concern. At the end of the day, we need to protect ourselves, not Iran’s image.