Renowned physicist Albert Einstein once said, "Any fool can know, the point is to understand."
Any fool can understand that Iran does not intend to cease it efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon.
But the European Union and its leading representatives, Germany, France, and Britain, refuse to understand. After Iran announced it had blatantly violated the 2015 nuclear deal, the Europeans sufficed with ridiculous condemnations and expressions of "deep concern." They were "waiting for reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency," they said, amid calls for Iran to adhere to the accord, as if the regime in Tehran were comparable to some mischievous child that a disapproving parent could set back on the path to good behavior by simply wagging its finger.
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Faced with a sophisticated Iran, the Europeans have come off as weak and devoid of principles. There is tremendous symbolism in the appointment of Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Borrell to the role of the next EU foreign policy chief. This is the same Borrell who shamelessly declared, "Iran wants to wipe out Israel? There's nothing new here. We have to live with it."
From Borrell's perspective, that is to say, from the EU's perspective, a desire to wipe out Israel is acceptable.
This is Europe's diplomacy vis-à-vis Iran in a nutshell: Surrender for the purpose of advancing economic ties.
All the Europeans' talk of the need to respect international agreements is just empty words. From the start, it was clear to the Europeans, as it was to the White House under US President Barack Obama, that the nuclear deal was aimed not at putting an absolute end to Iran's plans to arm itself with nuclear weapons, but rather to delay their implementation.
The EU set up a mechanism to bypass US sanctions, with the knowledge that this was a toothless exercise in a diversion that would not please the Iranians. Given the Iranian ultimatum, the Europeans had an opportunity to show determination and stand alongside the US by declaring unequivocally: A violation of the Iran nuclear would bring, in accordance with the wording of the accord, the reimposition of international sanctions on Iran.
But even after Tehran officially announced it had violated the agreement, the Europeans continued to stutter and look for an escape route that would allow them to avoid taking action: French President Emmanuel Macron may soon depart for Tehran in order to try and convince the Iranians to halt their violations.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was already in Iran some two weeks ago to this end, without success. Alternatively, the Europeans have said they want to activate the joint inspection mechanisms they have with Iran in an effort to tread more water, something the Europeans excel at.
The failed nuclear accord is considered the crowning glory of European diplomatic activity, the greatest achievement of the EU foreign service. Its dissolution, thanks to Trump's determination, should teach us a thing or two about the relevance of the European position in world matters.
This will be particularly true when they go back to pressuring Israel to accept the two-state solution. Just as the Europeans aren't really bothered by Iran's calls for Israel's destruction, so, too, do they not care whether the Palestinians want to annihilate the Jewish state. They can live with that. We can't.
