Contact: Max Rosenblum or Jonathan Edelman
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Washington, D.C., March 31, 2015 – In advance of tonight’s deadline for negotiations by the P5+1 nations with Iran over its nuclear program, Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement:
Later today, the world will learn the preliminary results of the P5+1 negotiations with Iran over that country's nuclear weapons program. The status of negotiations has profound implications for international nuclear nonproliferation efforts as well as American, Israeli and international security.
No doubt there will be a range of passionate views expressed on the terms of the developing deal or on the inability of negotiators to reach an agreement. That debate is important as we evaluate something with such far-reaching consequences.
We believe that it is crucial that those views are expressed respectfully, cognizant of the interest shared by all parties in ensuring that Iran's nuclear program is purely peaceful and poses no threat to global well-being. We urge all those expressing their views – Americans and Israelis, Democrats and Republicans, Labor and Likud, and other international actors – to refrain from personal attacks or impugning the motives of those working so hard to reach a lasting diplomatic solution to the very real threat posed by a nuclear Iran.
We commend the Administration for seeking a diplomatic solution, which is always preferable to the military option, and both U.S. political parties for having effectively maintained the economic pressure of sanctions that have forced Iran to the table, as well as Prime Minister Netanyahu for keeping the world focused on the dangerous threat of a nuclear Iran.
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The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism is the Washington office of the Union for Reform Judaism, whose nearly 900 congregations across North America encompass 1.5 million Reform Jews, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, whose membership includes more than 2,000 Reform rabbis. Visit www.rac.org for more.
