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GOP senator invokes Holocaust to slam Iran deal

by Jesse Byrnes - 04/18/15 6:00 AM ET

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) invoked the Holocaust to express concern about Iran as the Obama administration pushes to secure a deal over its nuclear program.

“Stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons is the greatest challenge to peace in our time,” Kirk said in the Republican weekly address released Saturday.

“After the Holocaust, we promised ‘never again,’ ” Kirk said. “We must keep terrorists from hurting our allies and our nation.”

{mosads}Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu similarly criticized the U.S. and five other world leaders for negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program, comparing it to those in the 1930s who negotiated with Nazis.

“Ahead of World War II, the world attempted to appease the Nazis,” Netanyahu said this week. “They wanted quiet at any price, and the terrible price did come.”

Meanwhile, President Obama marked Holocaust Remembrance Day on Thursday as a time to “forcefully condemn” anti-Semitism and other bigotry, saying, “It is incumbent upon us to make real those timeless words, ‘Never forget. Never again.’ “

Kirk, who with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) authored a bill to put new sanctions on Iran should negotiators fail to reach an agreement by the final June 30 deadline, reflected on the pace of sanctions relief.

“Lately, Iran has tried to backtrack on the promises they made to President Obama. Iran now wants sanctions immediately lifted, which would fund Iran’s terror subsidiaries with billions,” Kirk said.

“Secretary Kerry recently testified before the Senate and said it would only take two more months for Iran to build a bomb. We must use strong economic pressure on Iran to prevent them from getting nuclear weapons,” Kirk said.

The U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China agreed to a framework deal with Iran on its nuclear program early this month, and negotiations are slated to resume in Vienna next week.

Obama brushed off the possibility that a bill he will sign allowing Congress to review a potential deal with Iran would derail talks over its nuclear program, calling the bipartisan deal a “reasonable compromise.”

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