10:05 AM EDT — Reactions to the Iran nuclear deal are spilling into my inbox and all over my Twitter feed. They range from very likely to approve (Nancy Pelosi) to sharp disapproval (Marco Rubio), but the bulk, from Democrats and Republicans as well as from Jewish groups is, “we’re skeptical, let’s read it closely and then we’ll see.” Significantly, AIPAC falls into that broad middle, albeit leaning toward the “skeptical” side: “During these negotiations, we outlined five critical requirements for a good deal. We are deeply concerned based on initial reports that this proposed agreement may not meet these requirements, and thereby would fail to block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon and would further entrench and empower the leading state sponsor of terror. As the administration has agreed, now is the time for Congress to carefully review all elements of the proposed agreement to ensure that Iran is verifiably prevented from attaining a nuclear weapon. We intend to examine closely the details of the agreement against that standard, and we will then issue a fuller assessment.” My bet is that AIPAC is likely to rally against the deal. That it stops short, today, of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s outright dismissal of the deal, however, may signal the difficulties any opposition will present to AIPAC’s commitment to bipartisanship. My favorite comment so far comes from the office of Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., who uses “skeptical” three times in three sentences and who reminds us he is Jewish: “I was skeptical at the beginning of this process, and I remain skeptical of the Iranians. In the fall, there will be a vote on this deal, and my obligation is to review every word, sentence, and paragraph of the deal to ensure it satisfies my continued concerns. Until then, you can continue to count me in the ‘skeptical’ column.” Rep. Israel is the highest ranking Jewish Democrat in the House of Representatives, and a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. 10:38 AM: Netanyahu’s first post-deal press conference: He calls the deal a “stunning historical mistake” and says Israel is not bound by it. Ben Sales examines Israel’s options here. 10:59 AM – In a conference call with reporters this morning, a senior administration official says President Barack Obama is likely to call Netanyahu later today, as well as European allies, to discuss the deal. “He will certainly speak to the prime minister, of Israel,” the official said. “They have clear differences, but given our relationship to Israel and our commitment to their security, he will certainly want to speak.” Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed