Netanyahu to hold live webcast on Iran with North American Jews

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly spoken out against the Iran nuclear deal, will state his case once again this week in a live webcast targeting Jewish institutions across North America.

Netanyahu will deliver remarks and answer questions from participants in an event described by organizers as a live virtual experience that will bring together thousands.

It is co-sponsored by the member organizations of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and Jewish Federations from across North America.

The webcast will be transmitted to computers, cell phones and flat screens set up in synagogues, organizations and Jewish community centers large and small throughout the continent, organizers said.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobby in Washington, has been lobbying intensively on Capitol Hill to kill the deal.

Congress is reviewing the agreement that the US and other world powers negotiated with Iran to limit its nuclear capabilities in exchange for a relief of sanctions.

Opponents of the deal question whether it goes far enough to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon.

Congress has until September 17 to approve or reject the agreement. US President Barack Obama has said he would veto any legislation that undermines the deal, but Congress could override his veto with enough votes.

Obama, on Thursday, told groups that support the Iran deal to make their voices heard to Congress to counter the millions of dollars in lobbying by those who want to derail the agreement.

“Right now the opponents of this deal have been flooding congressional offices,” Obama said on a call with groups including the Washington-based think tank Center for American Progress.

Groups who opposed the deal, such as AIPAC, have spent $20 million in TV ads to put pressure on members of Congress, Obama said.