At least this article mentions Iran's objections to intrusive inspections and its keeping nuclear sites hidden. But it should also mention Iran's threats against Israel and its development of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads (is a nuclear program peaceful if it can be used to "wipe a country off the map with a single bomb?).

I doubt that the Iranians would hesitate to kill Palestinians. Muslims have been the main victims in the war between Sunni Jihadis and Shi'ite Jihadis.

Although my comment was made on an article concerning the Senate bill, I was not referring to language in the legislation. I was referring to media reports that tell us Iran's claims but don't mention Iran's threats.

Any statement that Iran claims its nuclear program is strictly peaceful should be accompanied by a comment on Iran's threats against Israel (such as "It will take only one bomb to wipe the Zionist entity off the map."). Those threats make a mockery of Iran's supposedly peaceful intentions.

There was a time when New York State had kosher inspectors whose job it was to be sure that food being sold as kosher was really kosher (intended to protect observant Jews from fraud). However, there is no uniform standard for kashruth and the law was challenged on the grounds that the State of New York had no basis for deciding whether kosher food had to meet OU standards or Lubavitch standards or Conservative standards or other kashruth standards. The law was changed to say that food sold as kosher had to be labelled with the identity of the entity providing the certification so that the individual could decide whose hecksher s/he accepted.

I think we should apply similar standards here. I don't see how supplying flowers or food or photographic services means that one approves of the event taking place (unless the event is somehow illegal). This certainly goes way beyond the issue of same-sex marriage. I don't think an Orthodox kosher caterer, running a business that serves the public, should be allowed to refuse to provide food for a wedding at which a female rabbi (or even a male Conservative or a male Reform rabbi) will officiate, nor should the caterer be allowed to refuse to provide food at an intermarriage. The caterer should, most certainly, have the right to refuse to supply food not approved by his/her kosher supervisor. S/he should also have the right to refuse to become personally involved in the ceremony itself (for instance, s/he should be able to refuse to act as a witness; that right should also extend to florists, photographers, dress makers, tuxedo renters. et. al., who might be hired by people having a same sex marriage).

Okay. Let's judge Iran on its actions --- sending money and missiles to Hezbollah and Hamas, helping terrorists who killed American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, torturing Americans being held in their jails, supporting Houthis in Yemen. The US could have insisted that these actions be stopped before any deal was made but we didn't. (And don't tell me that no one ever died at the hands of a mob that was inflamed by a KKK member or a Nazi or a radical Islamist).

If Iran truly had no interest in making nuclear weapons, its leaders shouldn't have been threatening to destroy Israel (especially not musing on how one bomb would do the job).

Netanyahu explained, the day after the elections, that his objection was to organizations, funded by foreigners, drumming up the votes of people whom those organizations felt would vote against Likud. The complaint is not without basis --- the US Senate is investigating the use of our government's money in funding the "anyone but Bibi" campaign.

The scientist was not prevented from becoming an Israeli citizen. Like many Arab residents of Jerusalem, he chose not to become a citizen. The permanent resident status affords a person the many benefits of living in Israel. Refraining from becoming a citizen is a sort of insurance policy; if Israel's enemies succeed in destroying the Jewish state, those who chose to become Israeli citizens are more likely to be branded as collaborators than those who did not.

By the way, there are also Jews who make what we might consider to be strange decisions about dealing with the state. Some Haredi Jews don't recognize the validity of a secular Jewish state. Their parties will enter the governing coalition but won't accept ministerial posts, although they will agree to be Deputy Ministers.

Under apartheid in South Africa, how many non-whites held government positions?

He's not an Israeli citizen so he can't vote in the national (Knesset) elections. However, as a permanent resident, he is entitled to vote in municipal elections in Jerusalem.