We would like to think that the nine Democratic town and county officials representing the Town of North Hempstead were not playing politics with a grave matter of national security when they sent a letter to two U.S. senators and two members of Congress stating their opposition to the Iran nuclear agreement.
But little of what was said in the letter or in subsequent interviews leave us much choice.
“We need to make sure this doesn’t become an election issue in the fall for our candidates,” said Steve Markowitz, a vice-chair of the Nassau County Democratic Committee, who recommended the letter at a committee meeting. “The election should be about local issues, not about Israel and Iran.”
Of particular concern, he said, were Roslyn and Great Neck – two communities with large Jewish populations.
The letter was signed by Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth, town council members Peter Zuckerman, Anna Kaplan and Lee Seeman; Town Receiver of Taxes Charles Berman, Town Clerk Wayne Wink,and Nassau County legislators Ellen Birnbaum, Judith Jacobs, and Delia DeRiggi-Whitton.
It offers a somewhat different explanation than Markowitz’s.
“From time to time, unique circumstances arise that require us to voice our concern about an issue that is beyond the domain of local government but is of great importance to our residents and indeed every American.”
Based on this criteria, one wonders what’s next?
Advice on the two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians? Or – given the large Asian-American population of North Hempstead – advice on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement?
Perhaps debates for town and county seats should be divided between domestic and foreign policy.
But the letter is no joking matter.
As a matter of political expedience a large number of Democrats joined with Republicans – many of whom are now leading the opposition to the Iran agreement – in supporting the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The letter does little to ease our concern that history is repeating itself.
“Even without the benefit of formal polls, we are confident many of the residents we represent are opposed to this deal,” the letter states.
As if this is a reason to oppose an agreement that its supporters say will prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb for 10 years or more, rather than in a matter of months.
And without the benefit of polls just what do these officials base their confidence in the will of the people?
A week before the letter was written, 500 Great Neck residents led a protest against the nuclear agreement in Times Square organized by members of the ultra conservative Zionist Organization of America, which has conducted several rallies with Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. He of the comment that the Iran deal will march the Israeli’s “to the door of the oven.”
Are these the people the officials are listening to?
It also may be no coincidence that the letter came shortly after longtime Village of Great Neck Mayor Ralph Kreitzman lost his re-election bid to an Iranian-American doctor.
But, the letters’ writers said, they did not base their decision just on what they were told by residents.
“We have reviewed expert analyses and information, and observed the hearings that have begun in Washington,” the letter stated.
Not hearings that have concluded, mind you, but begun.
That’s not good enough.
If town and county officials want to use the prestige of their offices to advise U.S. senators and members of Congress to reject an agreement reached after 20 months of negotiations by the United States, the U.K., France, Germany, Russia, China and Iran they can at least tell us why. And they can begin by answering a few questions.
Have the nine officials read the nuclear agreement?
Do they think the United States can get a better deal?
If so, what is that deal?
Or do they think, we are better off with no deal.
And if that is the case, do they think the United States should use military force to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb?
Otherwise they should stick to the job to which they were elected.
