The New START Debate Is Not A Jewish Issue

Ariel Cohen /

Partisan Democrats in the Jewish community are attempting to politicize the security debate of the New START nuclear arms control treaty, the centerpiece of President Obama’s “reset” policy with Russia. According to a blog posted in The Jewish Telegraph Agency (JTA), the New START should be “a Jewish issue.” This is both preposterous and unwise, to say the least.

The JTA blog parrots the National Jewish Democratic Council statement, which suggests that New START has forced Russians to cooperate on U.N. Security Council sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program.

The NJDC statement proclaims: “Can anyone deny that Russian cooperation is essential to ensuring a nuclear-free Iran? Can anyone deny that not passing START will be a dramatic blow to U.S.-Russian relations—and a disaster in terms of our Iran policy? Where is the outcry? Our actions—in this case, our action or inaction on START—will have profoundly important repercussions.  The time has come for those in the American Jewish community who care deeply about confronting Iran to help pass START now.” (more…)