Reflecting on AIPAC’s Annual Policy Conference

I just returned from the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference in Washington D.C. and thought I would reflect on my experience in this post. Every year, the conference is attended by over 10,000 delegates from around the world including dignitaries, political activists, student leaders and passionate pro-Israel advocates. This year, Policy Conference was headlined by Vice President Joe Biden’s address in which he assured delegates that President Obama was “not bluffing” on his military threat against the Iranian regime.

Talks are underway between the so called P5+1 (including Germany) and Iranian leaders in which world leaders are expected to offer easing of biting international sanctions in exchange for concessions in Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. I, for one, am convinced that the Iranian regime is merely using these talks to buy time as they get closer to enriching weapon’s grade uranium that can be placed upon a nuclear warhead. A nuclear armed Iran is not only an existential threat to the State of Israel; it is a threat to the vital national security interests of the free world. If the Iranian leaders obtain nuclear capabilities, it will likely trigger a nuclear arms race that would destabilize and even cripple the world’s most politically delicate region. As President Obama makes his first trip in office to the State of Israel, the issue of Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon is assuredly going to be at the forefront of his discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer declared to the conference, diplomacy with the Iranians will soon come to an end either because their leaders willfully decided to dismantle their nuclear arms program or because the free world will do it for them. Congressional leaders, cabinet members and ambassadors alike all shared a similar message at this year’s Policy Conference: time is running out for diplomacy and sanctions to work.

The policy of the United States with regards to Iran is not containment; it is prevention. The red line that Prime Minister Netanyahu laid out at the United Nations last year will soon be crossed and an Iranian attack is imminent. The Israeli and American governments alike are well aware of the consequences of a pre-emptive strike on the Iranian nuclear program. But the consequences of not acting are far greater.

To view the full speeches of this year’s Policy Conference, including Vice President Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barack, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn and many others, please visit http://www.aipac.org/pc. I will have much more to write on this topic in the coming weeks and months, but for now, I implore you to follow the news closely as the Iranian negotiations unfold.