U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Photo: U.S. Senate Photo.

JNS.org – The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) criticized U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) for her remark that new Iran sanctions legislation would “let Israel determine when and where the United States goes to war.”

“Candidly, in my view, it is a march toward war,” Feinstein said of S. 1881, the bipartisan Nuclear Weapons Free Iran Act, which is sponsored by 59 U.S. senators.

The bill states, “If the Government of Israel is compelled to take military action in legitimate self-defense against Iran’s nuclear weapon program, the United States Government should stand with Israel and provide, in accordance with the law of the United States and the constitutional responsibility of Congress to authorize the use of military force, diplomatic, military, and economic support to the Government of Israel in its defense of its territory, people, and existence.”

Feinstein said regarding that provision, “While I recognize and share Israel’s concern, we cannot let Israel determine when and where the United States goes to war. By stating that the United States should provide military support to Israel in a formal resolution should it attack Iran, I fear that is how this bill is going to be interpreted.”

The provision of the bill that Feinstein criticized was “carefully crafted and subject to a special additional provision making it clear that it does not provide an authorization for war in any contingency,” RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said Wednesday.

“We are deeply troubled to see Senator Feinstein making such incendiary and inaccurate remarks on the Senate floor,” Brooks said. “We call on her to retract this reckless and false charge and apologize to her colleagues and to the millions of Americans who support a comprehensive, robust strategy to prevent the Tehran regime from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability.”