Obama likens tension with Israel to family feud

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Friday compared tensions between the U.S. and Israel over the Iranian nuclear deal to a family feud and said he expects quick improvements in ties between the longtime allies once the accord is implemented.

"Like all families, sometimes there are going to be disagreements," Obama said in a webcast with Jewish Americans. "And sometimes people get angrier about disagreements in families than with folks that aren't family."

The president's comments came as momentum for the nuclear accord grew on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers will vote next month on a resolution to disapprove of the deal. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., became the 30th senator to publicly back the agreement, saying Friday that it was a good deal for the U.S. and for allies like Israel.

If Senate Democrats can amass 41 votes in favor of the deal, they could block passage of the disapproval resolution. Obama has vowed to veto the resolution if it passes, and supporters of the deal could hold off efforts to override his veto if they get 34 votes -- four more than they have now.

The disapproval resolution has sparked a summer of intense debate between supporters and opponents of the nuclear accord. The deliberations also have divided Jewish Americans, with leaders of many organizations expressing concern about long-term damage to the community.

The president encouraged skeptics of the agreement to "overcome the emotions" that have infused the debate and evaluate the accord based on facts.

"I would suggest that in terms of the tone of this debate everybody keep in mind that we're all pro-Israel," he said. "We have to make sure that we don't impugn people's motives."

While Obama was measured in his remarks Friday, he previously has accused those who oppose the deal of supporting war over diplomacy. Earlier Friday, his spokesman equated a rally against the deal, which Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz plan to host next month, to a "pro-war rally."

Obama also riled congressional Republicans earlier this month when he compared opponents of the agreement to Iranian hard-liners who chant "Death to America" in the streets of Tehran.

Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Friday that Republicans were still waiting for the president to retract that assertion.

The U.S. negotiated alongside the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China for nearly two years to reach the accord to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.

As he has in previous speeches and interviews, Obama sought to refute criticism of the accord point by point. He disputed the notion that Iran would funnel the bulk of the money it receives from the sanctions relief into terrorism, saying Iranian leaders are more likely to try to bolster their weak economy. He also said the agreement wasn't built on trusting Iran's government, which frequently spouts anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli rhetoric.

Information for this article was contributed by Erica Werner and Deb Riechmann of The Associated Press.

A Section on 08/29/2015

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