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Obama: Debate on Iran Deal Is "Healthy"
(White House) Prime Minister Obama spoke at Adas Israel Congregation in Washington on Friday in honor of Jewish American Heritage month: "Iran must not, under any circumstances, be allowed to get a nuclear weapon. Now, there's a debate about how to achieve that - and that's a healthy debate....I want a good deal." "I'm interested in a deal that blocks every single one of Iran's pathways to a nuclear weapon - every single path. A deal that imposes unprecedented inspections on all elements of Iran's nuclear program, so that they can't cheat; and if they try to cheat, we will immediately know about it and sanctions snap back on. A deal that endures beyond a decade; that addresses this challenge for the long term. In other words, a deal that makes the world and the region - including Israel - more secure. That's how I define a good deal." "Moreover, even if we do get a good deal, there remains the broader issue of Iran's support for terrorism and regional destabilization, and ugly threats against Israel." "There will be disagreements [between the U.S. and Israel] on tactics when it comes to how to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and that is entirely appropriate and should be fully aired. Because the stakes are sufficiently high that anything that's proposed has to be subjected to scrutiny - and I welcome that scrutiny." "What I think will lead to long-term security and to the preservation of a true democracy in the Jewish homeland...is two states for two peoples, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security." "The Palestinians are not the easiest of partners. The neighborhood is dangerous. And we cannot expect Israel to take existential risks with their security so that any deal that takes place has to take into account the genuine dangers of terrorism and hostility."