Alan Dershowitz
Alan DershowitzBegin Center Video

Professor Alan M. Dershowitz of Harvard Law School is an American lawyer, jurist, and pro-Israel political commentator, who has written widely about the Middle East.  On his most recent interview on Arutz Sheva's Goldstein on Gelt podcast, he spoke about Iran and relationships with other countries.

For the full podcast click here.

Prof. Dershowitz: I recently had occasion to speak to President Barack Obama about the Iranian situation and to several of Israel’s leaders, so I do have some information. I’m personally convinced that President Obama means it when he says that he will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, but he’s being undercut terribly by J Street, which claims to be a pro-Israel organization. 

They are undercutting President Obama’s credibility and are making it harder for President Obama to persuasively argue to the Iranians that they will not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons and that the military option remains on the table. When an organization that purports to be pro-Israel like J Street undercuts President Obama and undercuts the entire Israeli government, when virtually everyone in Israel wants to at least keep the American military option on the table, it’s very hard to understand how J Street can claim to be a pro-Israel organization. 

On the issue of Iran which is the existential, most important issue the Israel faces, J Street is a firm enemy of Israel.  J Street is in the enemy camp, giving aid and solace to the enemies of Israel, including Iran.

Douglas Goldstein: One of the discussions that come up within the United States, and in fact in all of Europe as well, is let’s start with sanctions and see how that works.  Is that a reasonable possibility?

Prof. Dershowitz: It is, and I think sanctions alone will never work, but sanctions combined with a credible military threat could work, but it has to be a credible military threat.  When J Street says they are opposed to that threat and they speak for a substantial number of American Jews and supporters of Israel, they eliminate the credible military threat and the sanctions on the table.  Sanctions alone will not stop the Iranians from developing nuclear weapons.

Prof. Dershowitz details many other aspects of the Iranian situation regarding Israel. For the full mp3 download click here.

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services and the host of the Goldstein on Gelt podcast, an international investment show with a dynamic group of guests. These include Nobel Prize winners, best-selling authors, Israeli corporate chiefs, lawyers and accountants. Israeli business news and currency updates are featured as well. Goldstein on Gelt airs every Monday from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Israel time on Israel National Radio. For podcast archives click here.