Many of Hollywood's Jewish Community Back Iran Nuclear Deal

Some of the most prominent members of Hollywood's Jewish community are publicly declaring their support of a nuclear agreement with Iran, calling the deal's approval by Congress "in the best interest of the United States and Israel."

The open letter is running in the Jewish Journal in Los Angeles, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

"We appreciate that many have reasonable concerns about the risks of a complex nuclear weapons development agreement with an untrustworthy adversary like Iran," the letter states.

"We too hold these concerns, but the deal that was reached is not founded on trust; it is grounded in rigorous inspections and monitoring."

The 98 signers — which include architect Frank Gehry, TV writer-producer Norman Lear and billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad — warn that killing the deal would be a "tragic mistake."

"I just felt that some of the mainstream Jewish organizations weren't speaking on behalf of a large segment of the community that has a different point of view," Matthew Velkes of the media company Village Roadshow tells the Hollywood Reporter, adding the Jewish population in Los Angeles is "as diverse a community as one might imagine."

There's sharp differences in opinions among Jews both in America and Israel about the Iran deal.

Since the agreement was reached in July, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has lobbied lawmakers in Congress to reject it, The Jerusalem Post reports.

The liberal Jewish Middle East lobby group J Street announced a multimillion-dollar campaign to support the pact, the newspaper reports.

Recent polls conducted by Israel's Channel 10 found 69 percent of Israeli citizens are against the deal, Haaretz reports.

But a Jewish Journal survey in July of American Jews found 49 percent favored the deal despite misgivings.

The letter from Hollywood moguls comes days after a similar pledge of support from 36 retired U.S. generals and admirals, and a letter of support to President Barack Obama last week.

Congress has until Sept. 17 to vote on a resolution of disapproval on the deal.

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