A key issue that has been ignored during the negotiations with Iran over its nuclear capabilities is Tehran's reprehensible record on human rights, former Hungarian Ambassador to the U.S. Andras Simonyi said Monday on
Newsmax TV's "America's Forum."
It was as if Iran's record on human rights "had been totally forgotten," he said.
Iran is "a country where they're killing the opponents of the regime, where they're killing, openly hunting down and killing, gay people. So there are a lot of issues, outstanding issues out there that have been
missing in the debate.
"But the bottom line is, we're not there yet."
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The framework for an accord, reached last week, requires much progress before a final deal can reached, Simonyi said. "A key element of making sure that this deal is not going to be one that we will regret is that the United States and Israel have to fix their relationship," he said, referring to the frosty partnership between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"President Obama and President Netanyahu have to figure out a way to come to terms with each other."
Ditto for Obama's relationship with Congress.
"The United States used to be famous for its bipartisanship, and there's a real worry here that this is not just about Iran, this is not just about this deal," Simonyi said. "There's a general issue of the lack of bipartisanship" that's causing "a lot of worries here."
"Finally, let me say this," he added. "There are more and more voices saying, look, this is important, but Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, was very clear that let's be very cautious, cautiously optimistic. The same for the French foreign minister who said, look, this is great but we're hardly there yet."
Europeans view the deal as being between the U.S. and Iran — "whether we like it or not."
"Europeans want to see a peaceful settlement of the Iranian problem," said Simonyi. "The Europeans are, of course, scared and worried of a nuclear Iran. There is a lot more naiveté in Europe concerning Iran than there is in the United States.
"But at the end of the day, this deal depends on the leadership of the United States."
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