[Peace-discuss] letter to Sens. Kirk and Durbin, on the sanctions-not-negotiations-for-Iran bill S. 1881

[Stuart Levy]

I just responded to a call by Americans for Peace Now and sent a message 
to Senators Kirk and Durbin on the sanctions-not-negotiations-with-Iran 
bill, S. 1881...

APN's call is here:
http://wfc2.wiredforchange.com/o/8682/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=9490


and I edited their suggested message, to the following - not a perfect 
message but I hope it may be something they can hear.
[Sen. Kirk is an original sponsor of the bill; at present, Durbin hasn't 
signed onto it, though 33 senators have, including 14 Dems despite the 
White House's opposition to it.]

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As an American Jew, I support a healthy, prosperous and just Israel, as 
part of a peaceful Middle East.   I write to call on you to _reject_ S. 
1881, the mis-named "Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2013." Please do 
not co-sponsor this bill; if you've already co-sponsored it, I urge you, 
in the strongest terms, to retract your co-sponsorship promptly and 
publicly.

The bill appears designed deliberately to undermine the international 
initiative on Iran launched last month.  It sends a message that some in 
the Senate, joined by outside organizations promoting this legislation, 
may prefer war to multilateral cooperation, diplomacy and a negotiated 
final agreement with Iran, regardless of its terms, and that the US is 
negotiating in bad faith.

Now is the time to give diplomacy a chance and, in doing so, to test 
whether the interim agreement can lead to a final accord that verifiably 
limits Iran's nuclear development to the peaceful program which they 
have told the world they are pursuing, as permitted by their signing of 
the NPT.

In sending the message that sanctions will continue to be tightened even 
before negotiations have had a chance to proceed, supporters of the bill 
are, ironically, making common cause with hardliners in Tehran, who also 
prefer confrontation to negotiations and compromise.   But they put 
themselves at odds with most Americans, who do not want more war.

For the first time in decades, there is a historic and promising 
diplomatic engagement with Iran, and the entire world is focused on the 
importance of resolving concerns about Iran's nuclear program and 
nuclear ambitions. Now is the time for the Senate to stand up to outside 
pressure, and get behind the efforts of the Obama Administration and the 
international community to achieve a negotiated final agreement that 
does just that.