USIP Event Announcement Distorts the Facts

The United States Institute of Peace, based in Washington, DC, has announced an event on October 20 to discuss developments relating to the U.S., Israel, and Iran. But the announcement itself is misleading in at least two respects.

First, the USIP says that Iranian leaders have gone "as far as" to question Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.

In fact, Iran has gone much farther. Iranian President Ahmadinejad has said Israel "must be wiped off the map." In other words, he has not just said, well, Israel maybe shouldn't exist. Ahmadinejad has actually advocated Israel's destruction, albeit leaving it unclear who should be responsible for destroying it.

While left-wing defenders of Iran have sought to excuse Ahmadinejad's remarks, saying either he didn't really mean it or his words were improperly translated, Ahmadinejad himself has defended his statement as "just" and reflecting the sentiments of all Iranians.

Second, the USIP annoucement attempts to depict the U.S. and Israel as at odds over Iran when, in fact, the two allies are much more in sync than in disagreement. The USIP says, "Israel's leaders have signaled their displeasure with any sustained U.S. bid to engage Iran."

While some Israeli leaders may have, on occasion, questioned U.S. attempts to engage Iran diplomatically, Israel's prime minister constantly speaks in support of the U.S. Administration's ongoing and more pronounced effort to target Iran with economic sanctions.

At a press conference with U.S. Vice President Biden on September 3, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "I very much appreciate the efforts of President Obama and the American Government to lead the international community to place tough sanctions on Iran.... I think the leading countries of the international community have to join the American effort and Israel has been helping out with key countries and will continue to do so."

Rather than attempt to highlight differences between the U.S. and Israel over Iran, the USIP could have, and should have, highlighted that the two countries are in agreement about continuing to try to change Iranian behavior through economic sanctions. That, after all, is the primary focus of U.S. efforts at the moment -- not, rather, to "engage" Iran. As is, the USIP statement is unfair to Israel and the U.S.-Israel relationship by understating the Iranian threat and mischaracterizing Israel's position on U.S. efforts to contain it.