Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States is stepping up efforts to dissuade Israel’s government from criticizing the policy of President Barack Obama toward Iran, officials said.

The Obama administration has decided to again send the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff to Israel. Officials said Gen. Martin Dempsey was
scheduled to leave Washington for Israel and Jordan on Aug. 10 in an attempt
to end Israel’s lobbying of Congress to oppose any U.S. reconciliation with
Iran.

The Dempsey visit was announced as Israel warned of the prospect of a U.S. reconciliation with a nuclear Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials have been briefing a delegation of 36 House members on Iran’s nuclear program, said to have accelerated in 2013.

“Iran’s work and quest towards the achievement of atomic weapons not only continues, it continues unabated,” Netanyahu said on Aug. 7.”It’s actually accelerated.”

“Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, will be departing this weekend for visits in Israel and Jordan,” the Defense Department said. “The focus of the chairman’s visits will be discussing issues of mutual interest with his counterparts and continuing to build on these important defense relationships.”

This was reported to be the second time Dempsey was sent to Israel in a
week. On Aug. 4, Dempsey, deemed the friendliest senior U.S. defense
official to Israel, was said to have held meetings with Netanyahu and the military command on Iran and Syria. Officials said Dempsey informed the Israeli leadership that Washington would not attack Iran’s nuclear weapons infrastructure and warned against any Israeli strike.

In a statement on Aug. 7, the Pentagon did not state that Dempsey arrived in
Israel several days earlier. The statement said the chairman’s last visit
was in October 2012.

“In Israel, the chairman expects to discuss the United States’
unwavering commitment to Israel’s security, including potential threats from
Iran, the ongoing civil war in Syria, and uncertainty in the Sinai
[Peninsula in Egypt],” the Pentagon said. “While in Jordan, he plans to
visit U.S. troops and to gain a richer understanding of the impact on how
the conflict in Syria is impacting Jordan and the region.”

  Benjamin Netanyahu, Gen. Martin Dempsey, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon, White House lobbies Israel to stop lobbying Congress on Iran policy