By LEORA EISENBERG
Last week, President Carter enraged millions when he revealed to the world that Hamas is more devoted to peace than Israel. That's remarkable, really-- an internationally recognized terror organization is committed to peace. Say that again. Hamas truly is a partner in peace-- a partner in peace that builds rockets, uses human shields, violates cease-fires, and maintains an ideology of Israel having no right to exist. The best kind of peace partner, according to President Carter, is the kind that doesn't actually recognize you, since you're already at peace with your delusions. Once Carter said that, many Americans soothed themselves by saying that he is (thank goodness) no longer the president and that America truly is Israel's best friend.Best friend?The Iran Deal was President Obama's feeble attempt at achieving something in the Middle East. Syria was torn apart by civil war, a Palestinian-Israeli peace treaty failed, and Iraq is being taken over by ISIS. The deal that saves Obama's ego is the one that can destruct a whole nation, that nation being America's only reliable ally in the Middle East. By compromising with Iran-- the very manifestation of militant Islam-- we give the Iranian regime its coveted control of the West. By not halting completely or even confiscating (if such a thing is possible) Iran's nuclear program, we put Israel is great danger, Israel being the very nation Iranian nukes are seeking to destroy. By having UN sanctions lifted once an agreement is signed, we allow Iran-sponsored terrorist groups (ahem, Hamas) to survive-- our "partners" in "peace." The deal put in place only restricted-- did not remove-- the nuclear program, put Israel in greater jeopardy than it's already in, and certainly did not consider monitoring (or stopping) the funding going to terrorism. Not to mention that Iran has allegedly violated the interim agreement several times and will not allow the US to inspect its nuclear facilities. The Arab world now has to seriously reconsider its friends and enemies. Already torn apart by terrorist groups and reeling from their blow, Arab states want to see Iran destroyed. Case in point: Saudi Arabia is so afraid of Iran's expanding sphere of influence that it is bombing Yemen to bits in order to ensure the Iran-backed Houthi minority cannot influence the rest of the region. Simply put, the Arab world wants Iran out, and the the US is not helping. With Iran sponsoring Hamas just across the separation barrier, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis next door in Saudi Arabia, Israel is one of the few countries in the Middle East that is being suffocated by Iran on all sides. Israel is surrounded by the state that wants to destroy it, and thus Israel does not want to see Iran wielding any power over the United States or bearing any nuclear weapons. The US, however, is willing to compromise. And you should never compromise with a country that wants you and your allies dead. And if the US compromises with the West's (and the Arab World's) mortal enemy, is the Arab World going to continue to see America as an ally? This latest deal as well as Carter's statement should also make Israel think about who its friends are. It is now a country surrounded by terrorism, most of it Iran-backed. The Israeli government must think long and hard about who is able to bring about peace: the United States which fight for democracy and have historically helped Israel, but compromise with a state that is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism, or the Arab world that is wonderfully imperfect and (mostly) refuses to recognize Israel but dead set against Iran. Maybe the Arab world and Israel will find refuge in their shared hatred of Iran. Then again, maybe the US is still (hopefully) considered an ally. But unfortunately, it allows Iran to continue supporting our beloved Hamas and Hezbollah-- "partners in peace."--Follow my thoughts about the Middle East, Judaism and anti-Semitism on Facebook at Leora Noor Eisenberg or on Twitter @LeoraEisenberg.