The Heat: US, Israel and the nuclear deal debate

The Heat

For U.S. President Barack Obama it’s about leadership, legacy and the spread of nuclear weapons. But for Israel, in the view of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it’s about Israel’s very survival. The disagreement over the Iran nuclear deal has driven a wedge between two historic allies.

As the debate rages in the United States Congress over whether to support the historic agreement, millions of dollars are being spent by influential Jewish groups in search of votes.
CCTV’s Jim Spellman provided an update.

The Heat spoke to:

  • Matthew Brodsky is a Senior Middle East analyst with the online firm Wikistrat, and a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post and The Times of Israel.
  • From Tel Aviv is Gideon Levy. He’s an editorial board member and columnist for the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz.

The Heat continued its discussion with Mohammad Marandi in Tehran. He’s the Dean of the Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran.

Last week five former United States Ambassadors to Israel were among those who signed a letter to the U.S. Congress in support of the Iran nuclear deal. One of those signatories was Daniel Kurtzer, who served under President George W. Bush.