Israel steps up security for US envoy following threats over Iran deal

Five of nine Jewish senators support deal; 98 leading Hollywood Jews also back agreement.

 

Israel has stepped up security at the US Embassy as well as at the residence of US Ambassador Dan Shapiro following a number of death threats he received in which the US was castigated for its role in last month’s Iran nuclear deal.

 

According to the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, threatening letters addressed to Shapiro were sent to the US Embassy in Tel Aviv last weekend, and three more letters also arrived on Wednesday.

 

The US envoy also received an anonymous threatening message on his Facebook page, in which the person chastised the US for “abandoning Israel” and claimed Shapiro was a “kapo,” a pejorative term for concentration camp prisoners who were appointed by the Nazis to supervise forced labor.

 

So far, no suspects have been apprehended and the matter has been brought before a special investigation team.

 

On Monday, Shapiro told Army Radio that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been ignoring requests to increase security cooperation with the US because of the nuclear agreement reached with Iran, to which Israel is strongly opposed.

 

“We will need to work together to deal with the threats from Iran,” Shapiro said. “We can begin to prepare for the day after.”

 

Five of nine Jewish senators support deal.
Meanwhile, in the US Sen. Al Franken announced he would be endorsing the Iran deal, making him the fifth of nine Jewish senators to back the agreement, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported Thursday.

 

“Many have expressed reservations about the deal, and I share some of those reservations,” Franken (D-Minn.) wrote in an opinion piece on CNN’s website.

 

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