New York, NY – Dianne Lob, Chair, William Daroff, CEO, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Vice Chair, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, issued the following statement:
“We are deeply concerned about news media reports regarding components of a renewed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran.
“Iranian demands to remove its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) blacklist are outrageous. Iran remains the world’s most significant supporter of terrorism directly and through its regional and international proxies, including the IRGC, an armed, political faction responsible for untold deaths, violations of human rights, support for terror, and the targeting of American and Western interests across the globe. From the torture of Iranian citizens who speak against the extremist regime, to targeting U.S. forces including a recent missile strike targeting the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, Iraq, to being the mastermind of deadly attacks against Jewish targets in Buenos Aires, Argentina, during the 1990’s, there is no doubt that the IRGC should be targeted for more sanctions, not given any tacit pass or relief by the West.
“Some contend that the Foreign Terrorist Organization list is purely symbolic, it is not: the FTO list expressly prohibits providing material support to listed terrorist organizations. Removing the IRGC restriction would give an explicit green light for bad actors to help Iran achieve its violent goals. Giving a blank check of approval or exempting in any way even part of an entity that promotes and engages in murder, subversion, and undermining governments, sends an unmistakable negative signal throughout the Middle East. Maintaining the IRGC’s rightful place on the terrorist list reaffirms America’s commitment to our friends and our determination to our foes.
“We are also concerned about cash payments – reported to be as much as hundreds of billions of dollars – that would flow directly to Iran with little ability to monitor spending once received. Given the American-led international isolation of Russia, we question its reported role as the adjudicator of Western compliance with the deal, as well as the exemption of Iran from Russia’s Ukraine-related sanctions.
“The international community must not invest in a regime that, along with its IRGC and terrorist proxies, have the innocent blood of Americans, Israelis, and many others on their hands as they pursue their extremist, hegemonic, and nuclear aspirations.”
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