Obama to meet Jewish leaders to discuss Iran nuclear accord

US President Barack Obama will host a group of American Jewish leaders at the White House to discuss the recent nuclear accord with Iran.

Leaders of major Jewish organizations in the US will attend the meeting with Obama on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.

Obama will attempt to reduce concerns that the conclusion of nuclear negotiations, which places limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, may be a risk for Israel’s safety, Earnest said.

The Jewish leaders attending the gathering include individuals who support the nuclear agreement and those against it, as well as the ones who are undecided.

The meeting is part of an effort by the Obama administration to gain support for the deal, which is the most significant foreign policy initiative of the president’s second term.

Winning support for the agreement among Jewish groups is critical because many Zionist organizations have strong influence in Congress, which may vote against the deal.

The Obama administration is also looking to boost public support for the accord, especially among American Jews who usually vote in favor of the Democratic Party.

Iran and the P5+1 group -- the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany –  reached a conclusion on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on July 14 in the Austrian capital of Vienna following days of intense talks over Tehran’s nuclear program.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the biggest Israeli lobby group in the US, is deploying hundreds of lobbyists on Capitol Hill to try to convince lawmakers to vote against the JCPOA.

Congress is reviewing the agreement and will vote on it in September.

Most Republican lawmakers oppose the nuclear accord. However, they need a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress to override a presidential veto and to reach that threshold; Republicans need the Democrats’ support.

Senior White House officials have urged Congress to support the agreement, saying rejecting it will trigger another war in the Middle East.

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