In Sunday night’s episode titled “The Race” on CBS’s Madam Secretary, the U.S. uses a cyber attack to stop an imminent retaliatory Israeli air strike on Iran after Iran struck an Israeli nuclear facility. A loosening of sanctions has emboldened Iran and Israel must now protect herself.
“The Iran deal is going to define my administration, just not the way I hoped,” says President Conrad Dalton (Keith Carradine), in a line that could be spoken by President Obama. Dalton rushes to rescue the Israeli Defense Minister after the Iranians kidnapped him unbeknownst to Israel. To make the rescue in time without loss of life, the Israeli fighter jets’ GPS satellite has to be neutralized by “Muckware” jointly developed by the U.S. and Israel. Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (Tea Leoni) makes this suggestion when President Dalton hesitates to use military operatives on the ground in Lebanon so that lives would be spared, including that of the Israeli minister. She knows that Israel could clean up the attack within twenty-four hours and their Defense Minister would be home by then. Madam "Hillary" saves the world again.
The reality of the consequences of the Iran peace deal had come back to bite President Dalton. Realizing that the CIA operative with twenty years experience in dealing with Israel was right all along to fight Dalton and McCord on the agreement, she asks what should be done to bring peace to the region. The agent tells her that instead of giving Israel “the Heisman” she should have brought Israel to the negotiations.
Iran became a powerhouse with the sanctions lifted and the concessions made. In order for peace, Iran would have to discontinue support of Hamas and Hezbollah, acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and Israel would have to acknowledge the Iranian nuclear program and provide security guarantees while waiving U.S. support. Impossible, right? Yes. That is why there will not be peace in the region.
But, no, wait. This is liberal fantasy television. President Dalton and Secretary McCord arrange to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister and the Iranian President in Geneva - McCord talks to the Israeli and Dalton talks to the Iranian – and they hammer out the framework for a new agreement. In the end, a handshake is secured between the two enemies as Dalton issues a statement of the historic achievement. The scene was as unbelievable as it sounds.
Remember that on the show, Dalton is a Republican who had to run as an Independent for re-election. Meanwhile in real life, the current Democrat president (Obama) and his Secretary of State gave the dangerous concessions to Iran and put Israel in its present jeopardy. That’s Hollywood for you.
