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| Stop Iran Rally in Times Square NY drew 1000's in support |
Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, co-organizer of the rally, emphasized that the success of the rally hinged on its bipartisan and cross-community participation:
[Watch Clip: Part D, 0:55–1:06]
The rally’s intent was clear: to apply public pressure on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other key Democrats to oppose the Obama-backed JCPOA.
To broaden the coalition, organizers emphasized that this was more than a Jewish issue—it was a national security issue that united Americans across faiths and political lines: [Watch Clip: Part D, 1:10–1:25]
Despite this powerful protest, the Obama administration pushed the JCPOA through. Although the deal was presented as a diplomatic breakthrough, critics pointed out that it lacked robust verification and sunset clauses allowed Iran to resume sensitive nuclear activities within a decade. While Democratic leaders like Chuck Schumer ultimately opposed the deal, their votes came only after its passage was assured.
In 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed a trove of secret Iranian nuclear documents, exposing Iran’s covert work on nuclear weapons under the codename "Project Amad" — proof that the regime had been lying to international inspectors even during negotiations. These revelations confirmed what the Stop Iran Rally organizers had warned: that the regime’s intentions remained unchanged.
The Obama administration’s strategy of engagement, built on hopeful assumptions, had empowered Iran with billions in sanctions relief. Tehran funneled much of that windfall to its Revolutionary Guard, proxies like Hezbollah, and regional destabilization.
Political Cowardice and Schumer’s Strategic Betrayal
He urged the Jewish community to withhold support from politicians who betray existential issues. [Watch Clip: Part D, 8:48–9:12]
A Missed Opportunity — and a Temporary Reprieve
When Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018, many saw it as vindication of the warnings raised at the rally. The Trump administration imposed a “maximum pressure” campaign on Tehran, including sanctions that crippled Iran’s economy. Yet regime change never materialized. Wiesenfeld later remarked that Trump backed away from a decisive endgame — and subsequent administrations sought to revive the same flawed agreement.
By early 2021, negotiations with Tehran had resumed. Iran was closer to nuclear breakout than ever, and the original critics of the deal were proven right — but largely ignored.
Iran Escalates — and the World Looks Away
Since the original deal, Iran has steadily enriched uranium beyond the JCPOA's limits, expanded its ballistic missile program, hardened and fortified its enrichment facilities underground, and continued arming its terror proxies. The regime supported attacks on Israel from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and even Yemen. In October 2023, Iran-backed Hamas launched a war from Gaza resulting in the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
In response, both the Trump and Netanyahu governments coordinated targeted cyberattacks, sabotage, and assassinations to delay Iran's nuclear timeline. Iran has since informed the EU of its intention to resume and expand uranium enrichment using preserved equipment.
Wiesenfeld warned this moment demands urgent moral clarity and civic action. “We need to engage synagogues, churches, and media platforms to unify people again — or we will relive the tragedies of our ancestors.” [Watch Clip: Part E, 1:35–2:05]
“American Jews are at risk of repeating their silence from 1942 — even now, some won’t show up. But we must.” [Watch Clip: Part E, 2:06–2:23]
Lessons Unlearned and a Renewed Call to Action
In a later segment, Wiesenfeld warned that history would judge American Jewry harshly if they again failed to organize against threats to Israel and Western civilization. He urged grassroots activism, collaboration with churches, and a rejection of political complacency: [Watch Clip: Part E, 1:00–1:34]
Drawing comparisons to Jewish silence during the Holocaust, he emphasized the moral obligation of today’s generation to speak and act before catastrophe strikes.
In the years since the JCPOA’s passage, Iran and its regional proxies have launched sustained military campaigns aimed at weakening and eventually eliminating Israel. Armed by Iranian funding and weaponry, Hamas and Hezbollah have opened multiple fronts, while Houthi and Syrian-based militias have attacked from the south and northeast. The October 7, 2023 massacre by Hamas marked a turning point, confirming that the regime’s goal is not diplomacy, but destruction.
In response, U.S. and Israeli forces conducted cyber operations and precision strikes aimed at delaying Iran’s progress. Yet Iran has already pledged to resume uranium refinement and rebuild its program with preserved infrastructure — now more fortified and dispersed than before.
Wiesenfeld warned that documentation alone — even secret archives like Israel’s 2018 revelation of “Project Amad” — has not changed Iran’s ambitions or the international community’s evasions. “We tried warnings. We tried deals. We tried limited strikes. Now we must try truth and courage,” he stated in a separate interview. [Watch Clip: Part E, 2:23–2:40]
As Iran nears weapons-grade enrichment again, the lessons of 2015 must be fully absorbed. Western strategy must no longer rely on unenforceable agreements and wishful thinking — but on unity, strength, and moral clarity.
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