Don't let Iran deal become wedge issue

The Iran nuclear deal is complex and there are many legitimate questions and concerns and likewise many significant benefits. It is however quite frustrating to see this become a wedge issue that has created a significant partisan divide and created serious divisions within the Jewish community and further divisions and potential divisions with long-standing allies of the United States.

There was a time when foreign policy was not an issue of partisan rancor. The United States can be more influential on the world stage when it speaks in a unified manner with one voice and a consistent position.

Likewise, we can more effectively have an impact when we can facilitate a coalition of nations to stand up to terrorists or nations like Iran who lend comfort and support to terrorists and terrorist regimes.

I suspect that there is much that we can agree upon and that should be our focus. Rather than voting for or against an agreement and partisan bickering that merely dilutes the effectiveness of our nation, we should be coming together on core principles where there is wide consensus.

The current vote that is being debated should be substituted by a bipartisan sense of resolution and Congress should make clear that it authorizes the president to take any and all actions both diplomatically and militarily to ensure that Iran never acquires or develops nuclear weapons.

The congress should authorize and encourage the president to assemble a coalition of nations to stand with the United States in this resolve.

It likewise should make clear that the president is authorized to take any steps needed to prevent Iran from arming terrorists in the Middle East or elsewhere or funding their activities.

Congress should authorize the president not only to snap back any sanctions in the event of cheating by Iran but to add additional sanctions and work with the world community to further strengthen sanctions.

Iran and the world at large should understand that the United States speaks with one voice in this resolve and that all options are on the table as a matter of bipartisan public policy.

The president and secretary of state worked long and hard with a coalition of nations to reach agreement on the current Iran deal. It may not be perfect, but it has the support of the world community and there is no reasonable basis to assume that others are going to come back and try to renegotiate.

It clearly puts us in a better position to monitor Iran's potential nuclear activities and impede Iran's development of nuclear weapons as many experts and scientists and military and security analysts have attested.

Without moving forward with the agreement, the monitoring would not be in place and Iran would not be impeded from moving forward with a nuclear weapons program; and there is no reasonable basis to think other nations would keep sanctions in place.

The credibility of the United States in negotiating with our allies may likewise be put in question. There no doubt it is in the best interest of the world and the security of our nation that we speak with one voice and end partisan quibbling that lessens our impact in dealing with the hot spots throughout the globe.

Elliott Hartstein is a former mayor of Buffalo Grove.