Vice President Joe Biden urged approximately 1,000 Jewish leaders in a call on Monday to give a proposed nuclear agreement with Iran a chance and "look at the facts" of the deal.
"Obviously, if you think it’s not in America’s interest, not in Israel’s interest, I understand if you say you won’t support it, but look at it really hard, look at the facts," Biden said during the conversation, a recording of which was obtained by Jewish Insider. "This is a complicated thing, but when you look at the facts, when you cut all the political wheeling and dealing aside, this is a solid, solid, very strong agreement that makes Israel safer, makes us safer, makes the region safer."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly opposes the deal, and has said it would allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Netanyahu has also said that Iran would use funds from sanctions relief to threaten and attack Israel. The influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee has also come out against the deal.
In the call, Biden told the leaders that he had worked to support Israel for his entire career.
"Please do not doubt my commitment to Israel," Biden said. "I have spent too much of my life working for Israel’s security and I’m not about to support an agreement -- that doesn’t mean you should be for it -- but I’m not about to support an agreement that I believe would do harm to Israel."
The Obama administration has been aggressively promoting the deal, which is currently in a 60-day congressional review period. Congress can vote to block lifting sanctions after the review, something that President Barack Obama has vowed to veto.
Listen to the full call above, via Jewish Insider.
Laura Goldman contributed reporting.