Israel lobby seeks to stall Iran N-deal: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with E. Michael Jones, editor of Culture Wars Online Magazine, about the recent round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program in Geneva.

What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Mr. Jones, what is the reason do you think for these contradictory remarks being made? We are hearing John Kerry saying that we were united, the P5+1, it was Iran that was undecided.

However, Iran is saying that, it is not of course said directly, that France was responsible but there have been hints both from Iran and Russia that France was the one who was blamed and caused this deal not to be agreed and a lot of people are saying that France was actually doing Israel’s bidding. So what really happened and how can we find out?

Jones: Well I think that the main fiction they have to portray here is that the West is united in its position and I do not think that is the case and I think that what you are saying here is that the main player in this whole thing isn’t at the table. The main player is Israel and the Israel lobby.

This group is determined that there will be no agreement with Iran. They want the sanctions to continue. They understand clearly that if there is rapprochement with Iran, they will lose their power; they will lose their power over the United States.

So I think each of these countries is vulnerable to the local version of the Israel lobby in their own countries and none of them wants to come across as taking the lead because that would make them even more vulnerable.

So John Kerry now has to come back to the United States and he has to plead before Congress for a deal, the policies that they are pursuing and Congress is much more pro-Israel than the Obama administration is at this point.

So I think he would like to portray the United States is not standing out, as not taking the lead in wanting an agreement with Iran because that would make him more vulnerable to the Israel lobby.

Press TV: Well, one other question that some people are asking is why we saw France this time round speaking about “Israeli interests,” “Israeli concerns” rather than the US being the one who is bringing that up?

A lot of people were saying that we would expect the United States to come up with comments like this. Why was the US this time around more towards reaching a deal and France coming out against it, this deal that it was saying it would endanger Israel’s interests? Is this a good cop, bad cop game as some are saying or do you think that the Obama administration is genuinely looking for a deal?

Jones: I think that the Obama administration is genuinely looking for a deal. I think they have realized that unlike France, the United States is overextended militarily. It cannot afford to prolong this operation in the Middle East especially a good cop, bad cop game; the growing threat of China in the Pacific.

And on the other hand, I mean whoever said that France was not under the control of the Israel lobby? Bernard-Henri Lévy led the charge against Libya. France was the first country involved in the looting of Libya.

So I think it is foolish to say that they are not as pro-Israel as the United States. At this point, they are more pro-Israel and the United States has more real interest to come to an agreement with Iran than France does.