Israeli Leftist: Bad Iran Deal is Obama’s Iraq War

Left-wing Israeli writer Ari Shavit, an ardent advocate of Israeli concessions to the Palestinians, has blasted President Barack Obama’s “framework” deal with Iran, saying that Obama is making the same mistakes for peace that George W. Bush made for war. Just as Bush launched an invasion of Iraq with no clear idea of the strategic consequences, Shavit says, Obama does not realize the deadly results of a bad deal with Iran, including a nuclear Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey.

Shavit writes at Politico:

Ten days after the Iraq War began, I happened to be in Washington on a work visit. I had the chance to observe up close the imperial capital that had just embarked on the most perilous adventure of the new century….I met with administration officials, spoke with well-known strategists, and dined with advisors to the White House—and was amazed to discover how utterly without doubt they all were…as an Israeli, I sensed what a terrible historic mistake America was making….

This is how I feel now, as the news from Lausanne arrives….Not only as an Israeli but also as a citizen of the free world, I want a strong America to protect freedom, maintain world order and remain the global leader in the 21st century, as it was in the 20th century.

But what should I do when Washington might once again make another terrible historic mistake? What should I do when my understanding with the Middle East allows me to see that the capital city I love is once again leading the nation that I love into the treacherous sands of the tribal, fanatical and violent part of the world in which I live?

Shavit is not along among Israeli leftists, including ardent opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who despair at Obama’s approach to Iran, which they describe as weak, naïve, and likely to lead to broader regional conflict.