An Update from CUFI Action Fund
This week’s Action Update comes at an unprecedented time for our country. While we are a single issue organization, we are a Christian organization and cannot ignore the suffering and frustrations of our brethren. Christians United for Israel has 8 million members. No doubt, many are in law enforcement and many are exercising their right to protest. Our prayer is that all Americans live the unambiguous admonition that “you love your neighbor as yourself.” Iran Sanctions Waivers Last week, it was announced by Secretary Pompeo that the US is terminating sanctions waivers permitting foreign companies to work with Iran on allegedly civilian nuclear programs. Even after the Trump administration tore up the Iran nuclear deal and began re-imposing sanctions against companies that did business with certain sectors of the Iranian economy, certain waivers were left in
place. While the stated purpose of these waivers was to “reduce Iran’s incentive to enrich uranium at higher levels and provide a window into the country’s atomic program,” there is not sufficient evidence to support the claim that the waivers enabled a better understanding of Iran’s covert nuclear efforts. Moreover, the only “incentive” Iran has to enrich uranium at higher levels is to pursue a nuclear weapon. No amount of capitulating to the Islamic Republic or issuing waivers to companies that seek to profit of that country’s nuclear program is going to provide Iran with a disincentive to pursue the components and
materials it needs to develop a nuclear weapons capability. What’s the Answer? Iran only deviates from its course when faced with stark choices. We have long supported maximizing the maximum pressure campaign against Tehran, and this action takes that effort one step further. The Iranian regime must completely and verifiably end all of its malicious activities. This includes ending its pursuit of nuclear weapons, abandoning its support for terror, and ending its imperialist ambitions. This also includes becoming a more free society. In the twenty-first century we cannot abide a radical theocracy that oppresses innocent people. We cannot make deals with the devils in Tehran. We must enact policies that pressure the regime to fundamentally change its character. What’s Next? As we’ve noted in a previous Update, in October the international arms embargo against Iran will expire. Last month our colleague Boris Zilberman, who serves as the CUFI Action Fund’s Director of Public
Policy and Strategy, penned an op-ed laying out policy alternatives to renewing the arms embargo – which Russia and China have stated they oppose. It is vital that Congressional leaders and the administration focus on this issue without delay. We must lay the groundwork with our European allies who may disagree with us on elements of the Iran deal, but certainly would agree that more guns in the hands of the Ayatollah and his henchman is good for no one. And we must put Russia and China on notice that we will not tolerate the arming of a terrorist-sponsoring state. There is no room for compromise on this issue. Every weapon that Iran acquires will invariably be pointed at an innocent person - be they Arab, Israeli, or Persian. This issue, and many others directly
relevant to American national security and the US-Israel relationship, will be discussed during the upcoming CUFI Virtual Summit. If you’ve not already signed up to participate, please click here to do so.
Sincerely,
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