Eleven Jewish former members of Congress signed an ad in Thursday's New York Times urging their former colleagues to support the nuclear deal with Iran.
"We championed the U.S.-Israel alliance as members of the House and Senate, and we all strongly support this agreement because it will enhance the security of the U.S., the State of Israel and the entire world," the full-page ad reads.
The ad was organized by No Nukes for Iran Project, which supports the nuclear deal.
“Facing near unanimous opposition from Republicans, Obama has focused on swaying undecided Democrats, many of whom are Jewish, ahead of a key congressional vote in September," according to a report on The Hill.
The ad's signatories, all Democrats, include well-known figures like former Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.), who chaired the Armed Services Committee, and former Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Robert Wexler (D-Fla.).
The ad says, among other things:
During our many collective years in Congress, we unwaveringly supported Israel, led or co-sponsored every major piece of legislation to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and stood at the forefront of every major piece of sanction law designed to halt Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
We support the international nuclear weapons agreement between the P5+1 nations and Iran.
This deal halts the immediate threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. A rejection of it would not lead to stronger measures, but instead would put Iran back on the path to develop a nuclear weapon within two to three months. As U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew recently wrote, the suggestion that a “better deal” can now be obtained “is a dangerous fantasy.”
Under this agreement, the core of Iran’s plutonium reactor at Arak will be removed and filled with concrete, 98 percent of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile will be eliminated, and Iran will be required to provide inspectors access and continuous surveillance at Iran’s nuclear facilities including underground sites.
Sanctions relief will be phased in over time and the sanctions can be put back into place if Iran cheats.
Military options remain on the table should Iran violate the agreement, while rejecting this deal would weaken the deterrent value of America’s military option.
Beside Levin, Frank and Wexler, the ad is signed by former Reps. Anthony Beilenson (Calif.); Elizabeth Holtzman (N.Y.); Steve Kagen (Wis.); Mel Levine (Calif.); Sam Gejdenson (Conn.); Abner Mikva (Ill.); Paul Hodes (N.H.); and Steven Rothman (N.J.).