On July 16 in Al-Monitor, I referred briefly to the unusual speed with which the diplomatic-security cabinet was convened for a crucial meeting about Israeli policy on the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. Within a few hours, in the blink of an eye after the signing ceremony in Vienna, Israeli ministers managed to study the hundreds of articles in the agreement, debate their merit in detail and formulate a position against the agreement, determining that Israel “is not bound by it.” Apparently, none of the ministers asked for time to delve into the agreement or to consult with experts who don’t think the agreement is so bad. As Mazal Mualem noted in Al-Monitor, the establishment silenced anyone who strayed from the government's talking points.
As far as we know, not a single minister wondered whether it might be ridiculous for a small country like Israel to “reject” an agreement signed by the world’s major powers. The cabinet did not examine Israel’s options other than to try to take the train back to its point of departure after it had already reached its final destination. They did not ask whether a possible decision by the US Congress to reject the agreement would actually force Russia, China and the European Union to leave the sanctions on Iran in place. Not to mention that the slim chance of such an American decision is currently even slimmer, now that the UN Security Council has unanimously approved the agreement. All the members of the cabinet raised their hand in favor of going into battle with no prospect of winning. None of the cabinet ministers questioned the decision.
