Mark Katz: "The cold spell is more between Obama and Netanyahu than between the US and Israel"

The six international mediators (Russia, the USA, China, the UK, Germany, and France) and Tehran have agreed to conduct the next round of Iranian nuclear negotiations in Geneva in late February. “The last round of Iranian negotiations was held in a warm atmosphere; the sides conducted constructive talks on the main issues,” a representative of China said. At the moment, the negotiators are continuing diplomatic efforts on the development of a universal agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. In November 2014 they agreed to develop an agreement which would guarantee the peaceful character of the nuclear program of Tehran in exchange for sanctions’ elimination. Mark N. Katz, professor of Government and Politics of the School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs of George Mason University, told Vestnik Kavkaza about the Iranian nuclear program and Israeli-US relations.

- It's not the first time that we hear about a progress in the US-Iran nuclear talks. How do you evaluate the situation today? How is it similar and different to the previous years?  

- What is different now compared to before is that while there are still many differences between Washington and Tehran, there are now more common interests.  The rise of ISIS in particular has become a common threat to both.  Washington and Tehran both want to defend the Shi'a-led government in Baghdad against it.  And while the US and many of its Western and Sunni Arab allies on the one hand and Iran (and Russia) on the other disagree about whether Assad should stay or go in Syria, we all agree that ISIS must not take power there.

Further, the deterioration of relations between Russia and the West makes Iran more attractive to the latter as a source of gas that would allow European countries wanting to do so to reduce their dependence on Russia.  While Iran does not side with Russia or the West on Ukraine, it would like to export gas to the West if it can.

- How much Israel and Israeli lobby in the US affects Washington policy towards Iran?

- Israel and the Israeli lobby are important, but less so than in the past.  As is increasingly clear, there are important differences between Obama and Netanyahu.  Netanyahu claims to fear that the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran will allow it to acquire nuclear weapons and threaten Israel.  The Obama Administration believes that Israel will face less of a threat from Iran if a nuclear agreement is reached than if it is not.  Further, the greater the threat posed by ISIS, the more the logic that improved US-Iranian relations becomes apparent in Washington.

- Would you agree that we are witnessing a period of "cold spell" in US-Israel relations? Or is it just media speculations?

- The cold spell is more between Obama and Netanyahu than between the US and Israel.  Obama is not the first US president to find Netanyahu especially difficult to deal with.  A different Israeli PM could lead to much better US-Israeli ties.

- Would it be right to assume that Republicans' policy towards Israel is more favorable to Israel than that of Democrats?

- Both Republicans and Democrats support Israel.  They disagree, however, on how best to do so.