The newly announced agreement on Iran’s nuclear program has led to the long-expected meltdown in Israel.

The news of a formal agreement being reached on imposing restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in return for the easing of sanctions was still fresh, even to Twitter, before Israeli politicians went on the offensive.

It was never truly an “if,” when it came to a deal being reached, instead being very much a “when.” Repeated deadline extensions offered continual refutations of the oft-stated positions of those like Secretary of State John Kerry that they truly believed that “no deal is better than a bad deal” and that they were not afraid to walk away from the negotiating table. That’s not to say that the Western negotiators, in particular the American team, were willing to give Iran everything and anything in order to get a deal, just that all of those involved were determined to solidify a formal agreement.

As such, Israelis politicians both inside and outside the governing coalition have been girding themselves for this moment, carefully preparing soundbites, tweets, 1938 Munich Agreement references, and Facebook posts.

Peace in Our Time…Again.

Surprisingly enough, Prime Minister Netanyahu was not the first out of the gate on responding to the news of the Iran deal. That position belongs to Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely who, along with ministry Director General and old Netanyahu confidante Dore Gold, rules over what is left of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Speaking this morning before the news had actually reached the general public, she called it nothing short of “historical capitulation of the West to the axis of evil led by Iran,” going on to say that “Israel will use all its diplomatic means to try and prevent the confirmation of the agreement.”

Minister without Portfolio Ofir Akunis was equally skeptical, saying that “the only thing that is guaranteed when it comes to an agreement with Iran is that it will not be fulfilled, and Iran continues to develop nuclear weapons which threaten the entire world.” Far from promising peace and stability, Akunis lamented that it only promises “worry, fear, and insecurity for all countries in the Middle East and to all countries that have signed the agreement.”

Calling the deal “bad for the free world (and) bad for humanity,” Culture Minister Miri Regev says the world powers gave Iran nothing short of a “license to kill.”

Netanyahu waited until he was meeting with the visiting Dutch Foreign Minister to make his remarks on the Iran deal. “Iran is going to receive a sure path to nuclear weapons. Many of the restrictions that were supposed to prevent it from getting there will be lifted.”

“Iran will get a jackpot, a cash bonanza of hundreds of billions of dollars, which will enable it to continue to pursue its aggression and terror in the region and in the world. This is a bad mistake of historic proportions.”

Meanwhile, Education Minister Naftali Bennett posted this on Twitter:

Voices from outside the governing coalition were hardly warm towards the deal. Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman blasted the deal in his own statement, saying “the agreement with Iran will be remembered in history in the same line with the Munich Agreement and the agreement with North Korea. This agreement is an agreement which ignores great dangers, and as a result is a total surrender to terror and unbridled violence in the international arena.”

He added that “a black flag waves over this agreement and will be remembered as a black day in history, and in the entire free world.”

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog of the Zionist Union attacked the deal as “terrible,” but echoed a sentiment widely shared by members of the opposition who place the blame for such a “terrible” deal squarely on the lap of the Prime Minister.

Speaking to members of the Zionist Union, Herzog warned that “Netanyahu will pay for all the mistakes he made in managing this crisis. The strategy he chose has failed.”

Shelly Yachimovich, a leading member of the Zionist Union, similarly called the deal “dangerous and harmful,” but like Herzog blamed Netanyahu for the failure due to the deterioration of relations with the Obama Administration under his watch. Calling on Netanyahu to stop “hurling horror scenarios,” Yachimovich demanded that the government work with the Obama Administration and not against it, as “it has become undoubtedly clear that the bitter confrontation with the Americans was an utter failure that will be taught in history books.”

The most fiery rhetoric came from Yair Lapid, chairman of the Yesh Atid party, who was been challenging Herzog by trying to assume the role of de facto opposition leader. Lapid called on Netanyahu to step down because “he knows better than anyone that while he is prime minister the United States won’t listen to us and the world won’t take our concerns seriously. He should resign because if you promise for years that only you can prevent this deal and then it’s signed — you’re responsible.”

Hidden Behind the Words

The as-of-now unanimous denouncing of the Iran deal by Israel politicians should serve as a clear sign that the opposition to it is not centered around, or even led by, Prime Minister Netanyahu. His bluff and bluster, added with that of some others, has painted an inaccurate picture, one that obscures the fact that the government and average Israelis have very real and legitimate concerns about what would happen with a nuclear deal with Iran. This is not just restricted to their thinking that Iran could still have a path to nuclear weapons despite a formal agreement. It also includes concerns about sanctions relief and the influx of much-needed cash to Iran.

Already subsidizing the Assad regime, supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza (although this support has been decreasing), deploying proxy militias in Iraq that openly flout the authority of the central government, and of course continuing to build up Hezbollah’s capabilities and backing its operations in both Lebanon and Syria, Israelis (and others) are suffering from ill-concealed anxiety about what Iran will do with all of the money it will get from sanctions relied.

While it is hoped that the Iranian government will take any money that may be gained through sanctions relief on social welfare, consumer goods, and the like, it is not far-fetched to think that at least a small portion of that money will go towards supporting Iranian proxies around the Middle East.

The story is still unfolding. At the time of publishing, the negotiating teams were meeting for a final plenary session to finalize steps moving forward. The Eastern Project will continue to monitor the situation and add analysis as new information is released.