Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a presentation which was televised to all of Israel documenting how Iran has been cheating on its nuclear program.
Some say this a prelude to war. Left-wing publications are doing their best to liken Netanyahu's presentation to that of former Secretary of State Colin Powell's to the UN prior to the War in Iraq.
But I don't think this is about war. Rather, one must ask if this is this the beginning of the end of the Iran nuclear deal? Clearly this presentation was as much for a U.S. audience as it was for Israelis. In which case, will this be what prompts President Trump to jettison the agreement? If so will Trump announce it during the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem? Or is he going to wait until mid-term elections in this country?
Whatever the case, it is long overdue. Frankly, Trump should have ended the Iran nuclear deal on the day he took office. But he hasn't because much of his cabinet favors the Iran nuclear deal although this is not the case with his new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
But what if Trump doesn't announce an end to the deal this year? For starters, Bibi is going to have egg on his face. Such a spectacle for nothing in return. Aside from weakening Netanyahu, it will also further anxiety in the Gulf Arab states resulting in an escalation of nuclear arms.
As for Israel, while moving the embassy to Jerusalem is important that will be meaningless if there is no ground on which a new embassy can be built. Ending the Iran nuclear deal should have been Trump's first foreign policy priority and the fact it has taken this long to resolve doesn't inspire my confidence. If Benjamin Netanyahu's presentation doesn't convince Trump to end the Iran nuclear deal then nothing will.
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