Addressing the inaugural Washington gathering of a major Israeli-American organization, 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney criticized President Obama’s decision to send a secret letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggesting the Iranians sign a nuclear agreement and work with a U.S.-led military effort against the Islamic State.

Mr. Romney told the Israeli-American Council’s first national conference that the Obama letter in essence gave new credibility to the Tehran regime.

“I was frankly stunned that the president of the United States would write a letter of that nature, in effect legitimizing a nation and a leadership which is violating international norms and is threatening the world. I find it astonishing,” Mr. Romney said.

“You can talk about a president talking to other world leaders. But to suggest that somehow we could somehow work together is something that is so far beyond the pale I was speechless,” he told the 700 attendees at the inaugural Israeli-American Council National Conference, staged just a few blocks north of the White House.

Founded in 2007, the IAC announced last year plans to build a national organization, including national headquarters and local chapters across the country for Israeli-Americans. The group’s programs include cultural, educational, advocacy and social activities.

The conference, which continued through Sunday and featured some 100 speakers, also included former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, along with Sens. Lindsey Graham and Bob Menendez; Rep. Ted Deutch; Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer; Israel’s former U.N. Ambassador Dan Gillerman; as well as business leaders such as Sheldon Adelson and Haim Saban.

In his remarks, Mr. Romney said that “the right kind of approach is to recognize Iran in the way we thought about South Africa during apartheid.”

“We considered [South Africa] a pariah,” Mr. Romney noted. “Their leaders were shunned, they were not invited to international bodies. We exerted moral sway. To somehow have communications with Iran’s supreme leader is, in my view, an enormous error.”

The former presidential hopeful also cited some history.

“It is tempting to think that the president is simply inept in dealing with foreign affairs. The reality is, he does have a foreign policy,” Mr. Romney said. That policy, however, is “ineffective and wrong,” and strays far from the practices set in place after World War II which emphasized an America that was “involved in the world,” promoted its values abroad, and was eager to “link arms” with its allies.

“The president is weakening our military and distancing us from our allies — which weakens us,” Mr. Romney continued. “The president began by going into the Arab world and apologizing for America, and saying we were dictatorial, divisive and that we were dismissive of other nations. And the remarkable thing is that he now is doing that very thing. But not to our enemies. To our friends.”

Mr. Romney added, “It leads bad people to think America can be pushed around.”

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