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Don't Rush into a Deal with Iran
(Boston Globe) Yehuda Yaakov - As the Nov. 24 deadline on negotiations to prevent the development of Iran's nuclear program approaches, the U.S. and other major players seek to strike a deal. Meanwhile, Iran's leaders seem uninterested in peaceful solutions and continue to say as much publicly. Just recently, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei asked on his social media account: "Why should & how can Israel be eliminated?" The determination to resolve the Iranian crisis seems to have taken on a life of its own. But it should not blind us to what is happening on the ground. It is important when the IAEA, in its latest report, points to Iran violations of the November 2013 interim agreement; it is important when that same report emphasizes that Tehran continues its refusal to cooperate with the Agency's investigation of its military nuclear activities. These are not trivial matters; they go to the heart of the Iranian nuclear crisis and the imperative of preserving global peace and security in this context. Perhaps other nations can ignore what is right in front of them - Israel cannot. We find ourselves in a geopolitical climate in which we cannot afford to give our aggressors the slightest opportunity to achieve their devious goals. This is why we believe that Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear threshold power, that the P5+1 countries must not rush into a deal that would allow Tehran to rush to the bomb. Whether there is a deal or not, Iran will remain a main contributor to instability both regionally and globally. It has a proven track record which cannot be ignored by anybody - especially not by our friends, especially not now. History has already demonstrated that the words of despots need to be taken at face value. The writer is Israel's Consul General to New England and dealt with Iranian issues for the Foreign Ministry from 2001 to 2014.