Tel Aviv's best friend

Iranian president's hatred is helping rather than hurting Israel

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Tel Aviv's best friend
by Rasool Nafisi
20-May-2009
 

The Durban Review Conference held in Geneva in April was set to examine progress made toward the goals of the previous conference in 2001: to eliminate racism, xenophobia and related intolerance. Many expected the conference would condemn Israel's attack on Gazan civilians, but what transpired was indeed the opposite. The resolution passed in Geneva helped Israel's stance by commemorating the Holocaust. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had a lot to do with this outcome, albeit inadvertently.

The conference was filled with a sense of premonition even before it was convened. Ahmadinejad's presence had made participants uneasy. Anticipating the worst, the gentle UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon summoned Ahmadinejad before the conference started and censored the part of his speech about the Holocaust. Ahmadinejad, however, was on the loose again and was going to try to own the conference. Struggling hard to demonstrate to the world that the emperor had no clothes, he attacked the West for being racist, with Israel, of course, at its pinnacle in this respect. EU representatives walked out in protest, and clowns threw tomatoes at him. The plucky president however didn't care. Representatives of the "oppressed nations" remained and applauded him, which is apparently what matters to him. Meanwhile the world, distracted by expressions of outrage, amazement and admiration for Ahmadinejad's mix of bravado and insanity, lost sight of the purpose behind the conference.

The UN chief's statement summarized Ahmadinejad's impact: "I deplore the use of this platform by the Iranian president to accuse, divide and even incite. This is the opposite of what this conference seeks to achieve." Most of the world, including Iran's staunch ally, Russia, found the speech deplorable and counterproductive. However, those who matter to Ahmadinejad such as Hamas and Pakistani Muslim activists showed support.

IRANIAN TELEVISION repeatedly aired footage of the applause by the third world delegates without a single reference to the walkouts or the clowns. Ahmadinejad propagandists chose two different tactics to deal with the embarrassing event: painting the walkouts as a manifestation of the "intolerance" of western imperialists and portraying the event as a success of "epic scale." The mastermind of the strategy was most likely head of the Iranian National Security Council Saeed Jalili, who believes, based on the axiom attributed to the German strategist Carl von Clausewitz, that the best defense is offense. The method of propaganda designed to turn the truth on its head so unabashedly also might have been borrowed from a German political strategist who took the approach: the bigger the lie, the more the people will believe it.

Some Iranian journalists and political activists questioned Ahmadinejad's speech. They felt Iran was humiliated by the event. A reporter asked Rahim-Moshaei, the president's trusted advisor, why he gave speeches that resulted in humiliation for Iran. "What a strange question," Rahim-Moshaei retorted. "There was a time when [we were so isolated] we were not even allowed to attend conferences. Now we walk in, and others walk out; do you call this our isolation?"

Some in Iran saw Ahmadinejad's fierce attacks on the West and Israel as a calculated measure to help him win in the June 12 presidential elections. This may well be the case, if we assume Iranians are mesmerized by their president's reckless gallantry abroad. It is a fact that Ahmadinejad has made foreign policy "successes" appear as his presidency's major achievement. It is absolutely necessary for him to look like a winner outside, as his economic and social policies inside have led to chaos and disappointment domestically.

The Geneva speech could also have been meant to rally the Arab street behind Iran by suggesting that Arab rulers were too cowardly to speak out against Israel. The more Arab governments rally against Iranian policies in the region, the more Ahmadinejad relies on the Arab street.

WE MAY also point to the president's pressing need to be constantly in the limelight. Yet his deep anti-Israel angst seems to reflect more than skin-deep political calculations and may require a psychological analysis. The environment where Ahmadinejad grew up, meaning Iran under the Shah, was largely free of anti-Israel sentiments. The top leaders of the revolution, who had previously cut their teeth on the politics of Lebanon, brought home to Iran anti-Israel sentiments prevalent in Arab countries.

But Ahmadinejad was too young at the time to be among them. So the question remains as to how he developed his anti-Israel fervor. There is no reference to such feelings or activities in his short autobiography. He grew up in a village near a small town in the desert. However, an accusation made by Mehdi Khazali, the progeny of the prominent Ayatollah Ahmad Khaza'li, may shed some light on Ahmadinejad's psychosis.

Khazali claims that Ahmadinejad's real family name is "Saboorchian," a Jewish name that he changed to "Ahmadinejad". Khazali, naming a few other prominent leaders of the Islamic Republic as new converts to Islam from Judaism, questions whether a Jewish cabal has crept in and taken over the revolutionary government! As outlandish as Khazali's claim seems to be, it has gone unchallenged. If there is any shred of truth in it, then we can see Ahmadinejad's fierce anti-Israel sentiment under a different light. Could he be just another convert unsure of his newly acquired identity, resorting to extreme measures to prove himself? Could he be the watered down, modern equivalent of Tomas de Torquemada?

No matter what the motive, many Iranian analysts believe their president's uncontrollable rage and hatred expressed in public are helping rather than hurting Israel; the Durban II conference just provided another piece of evidence. These days, a saying attributed to an Israeli general is making the rounds among Iranians: "If Ahmadinejad is not on the Israeli payroll, he should be."

AUTHOR
Rasool Nafisi, PhD, Strayer University Department of Arts and Sciences, Manassas, Virginia. First published in the Jerusalem Post.

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1920s Federal Reserve (US History)

by HISTORIAN (not verified) on

Greetings,

I want to make a flashback on U.S. history. The Federal Reserve was founded in the 1920s. They did fund Hitler and Stalin. Why did Hitler got elected by the Weimer Republic? The Communists were beginning to lobby in German Legislature. There is a conspiracy that Hitler was a British agent and was used by them. In fact, Prescott Bush did support Nazi Germany and there was a German/American lobby in the US prior to World War 2. Once the Soviets and the Red Army invaded Berlin, US, Britain, and France attacked Germany on D-Day to cut their own peace of Duetchland. The wall that divided West and East was Winston Churchill's idea called Iron Curtain. The Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan were anti-Communist ideas. GERMANY was a sovereign state under Hitler and Mussoulini but our media in the West makes a huge term called Fascism. IRAN had a Revolution and there many conspiracies that have not been revealed yet. The term Islamic-Fascism was labeled three years ago once AHMADINEJAD took office.
I encourage you to read FAMILY OF SECRETS on Bush Dynasty. There is a chapter called SHUSH, SHAH OF IRAN. He funded AYATOLLAH behind close doors. IRAN-GATE is very popular scandal. AMERICA begin to lost its Christian values in mid-1960s. www.familyofsecrets.com


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Jewish conspiracy

by Ario Ariazadeh (not verified) on

I usually don't comment about things that I don't have scientific knowledge or any kind of documents about, but I need to express two experiences of mine and one another document which could help understand how and why we could about Ahmadinejad as a conspiracy against Iran and Iranians. 1- I study in Europe and am in touch with international students from around the world and once suddenly in Sweden a Swedish friends of mine who studies Politics came to me and asked if I can help him with some info and comments about one paper/assignment where the subject was about analysis of "Ahmadinejad's benefit and advantages for Israel and Zionism" in a scientific manner and was claiming that he is one of the best and biggest strategies ever to help and benefit Israel with several reasons that I'd rather to not ruin it's logic by talking about it as I don't remember everything about it. And another time the same story happened to me in France, this time in a discussion with some European students again one German student told me a bout the same case study that he had during his studies at university. To me, it means that it's a political fact that we, Iranians are screwed by our president and Jewish conspiracy specially because I studied politics during my early years of university education where I learned about some basic political rules and facts and one of them is the "Power" and it's rules which simply is about screwing other nations and systems in order to win more for yourself. Another good document is about a book called "The Dynamics of the Iranian Revolution: The Pahlavis' Triumph and Tragedy Book by Jahangir Amuzegar; 1991". It provides a really realistic and scientific study of some conspiracy against Iran by big powers. Then you can easier judge if Ahmadinejad is a conspiracy or not!


IRANdokht

Mr Nafisi

by IRANdokht on

Where do you get your stuff?

It's a little too disturbing to think that Jerusalem Post publishes this brand of nonsense as some sort of Iranian scholar's point of view...  

IRANdokht

PS: Ostaad Peykan is right. The surname "Mousavi" is one way of determining that someone is a Seyyed and they're decendents of Imam Kazem. 


Ostaad

Paykan (Javaanaan)

by Ostaad on

Thanks for the info. Do you know of any resources to determine whether the name "Mousavi", which is very common in Iran, refers to the severnth Emam? I have always been curious to know about this.  And I do know some Iranian Jews who converted to Eslam, chose names like Rabie, Kohan, etc.  


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@hossein hosseini

by Anonymousxyz (not verified) on

Agree with your analysis. Ahmadinejad is their worst nightmare.

People would do well to recall that a developing Iran under Shah was also attacked by the West. The point is that a strong Iran is unacceptable to the powers that control the majority of the so called sovereign nations, regardless of who or what is in power.


Peykan

Ostaad: The Mousavi surname

by Peykan on

You wrote:
"Any Iranian with the word "Mousavi" as their middle or last name sure has Jewish background"

In my humble opinion, the word ”Mousavi" in the middle or last name of many Iranians who are considered as "Seyyeds" is a reference of bloodline from Musa-Al-Kazem, the seventh of Twelver Shia Imams and not from Moses, the biblical Hebrew religious leader.


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Isreal's worry has nothing to do with Ahmadinejad.

by dairus45 (not verified) on

The author contradicting himself while doing exactly what you accuse "IRANIAN TELEVISION" of. He says:

"Most of the world, including Iran's staunch ally, Russia, found the speech deplorable and counterproductive. However, those who matter to Ahmadinejad such as Hamas and Pakistani Muslim activists showed support."

First of all I didn't know Russia was Iran's "Staunch ally". I mean just because a country doesn't see the US/Israel line to be productive or at least in line with its national interest doesn't make it a "staunch ally". Then who is "most of the world"? You say:

"IRANIAN TELEVISION repeatedly aired footage of the applause by the third world delegates without a single reference to the walkouts or the clowns"

My friend if you believe in any form of democracy you have to accept rule of majority. The third world delegate are the "most of the world". Just because they don't have as much money or as much firepower as the western world doesn't make them minority. Unless you are living in under laws of jungle.

Then what is the clown's point? The real interesting point of the conference is that Ahamdinejad has shown the hypocrisy of the countries that walked out. They are not interested in debate.

I don't see Ahmadinejad has any rage toward Israel. Whether you agree with him or not, he seem to have a confidence that the Israeli regime (aka Zionist policies) would not be able to continue with the same policies for much longer. He seem to believe that in not too distant future we should see Jews, Christian, Muslim and live side by side with equal rights in Israel as the rest of middle east, hence the defeat of Zionism.

Ahmadinejad may be the one has predicted the future, but the real dynamic has nothing to do with him or Iran.

Since its inception, Israel has propagated a myth of invincibility. They don't seem to be able to come up with any other rational other that fear. When people don't buy the image, their power is gone and they need to rethink their military policies.

The real reason for the debunking their myth might very well be the Bush administration's debacle in Iraq. If a super power can't achieve its end militarily, what chance does Israel have? Arabs have began to believe in themselves, and that is what Israel is so worried.


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Kourosh Aryamanesh

by Shaghayegh (not verified) on

You make no sense. I believe you lack some basic knowledge about Iran, Iranian history and the Islamic Republic of Iran. If you do not understand the constitution of Iran, the platform of our Republic, or our religion Islam, please ask.
Isn't it time for you people to grasp some sense of reality and also realize that what you have been eating is not all good, it's shit actually. Aryamanesh, you too.


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Unfortunate for Tel Aviv

by Shaghayegh (not verified) on

They have imaginary friends, while realistically Iran has no friends.
President Ahmadinejad punched all those leaders who brag about Human Rights and Democracy with his words and showed that they can't handle the truth.

It is always easy to have a democratic system that not even one truly challenges your ideas. When that happens, well, you saw how they reacted...They left.

Exactly my point.


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Don't think so

by hossein.hosseini on

Tel Aviv’s best friend?  Are you kidding? Ahmadinejad’s Un -orthodox approach to Israel is a nightmare for the Israeli lobby.  Ever since his ‘election’ in 2005 he single handedly brought to surface an otherwise tabooed issue and that’s the arrogance of Israel and its’ leaders.  I do not like him but on this issue I think he has shown the courage to speak publicly what many people in the west were afraid or unwilling to talk about.
 
If you argue that Ahamadinejad’s remarks are used by Israel to get more support from the west, then you are right; but then again U.S. always has and will support the Jewish state.  What he has been able to do  IMHO is to shift public opinion (even in the west).  That’s something that AIPAC with million $’s of advertising   and PR could not imagine happening by a simple-minded person called Mahmoud Ahmadinejd. So to rewrite your quote “"If Ahmadinejad wants to be on Israeli payroll, he should STOP talking"


Ostaad

Nafisi must have an awsome press agent

by Ostaad on

This article that clearly lowers the standards of shoddy journalism several notches seems to have grown legs. First I read it in the Jerusalem Post, then it popped out in the Opinion section of the Daily Star of Lebanon and now it maks an appearance Iraninan.com. I must say I consider this article a piece of trash.

There are a couple of reasons why I call it shoddy journalism.  For example, the author opines, "Ahmadinejad's presence had made participants uneasy." Really Mr. Nafisi, which participants were made uneasy? The ones who feel uneasy just because Iran exists?! You need to be way more specific when you make nonsensical statements like this.

Contrary to the authors unsubstantiated claim, the world never "lost sight of the purpose behind the conference"! The conference's aim was to discuss racism and the final resolution reflected that inspite of all the CLOWNING around by the Zionista and their Western supporters.

There is no doubt Ahmadinejad thrives on propaganda, but Mr. Nafisi's concrete references to the German influence in the way Ahmadinejad's propaganda machine works, by itself, is an underhanded and duplicitous way of currying favor with Iran's Zionist enemies. Mr. Nafisi's biased opinion comes into full view when he claims "most of the world" opposed Ahmadinejad. Nafisi's article heads straight for the gutter by claiming the only support for Ahmadinejad's speech came from "Hamas and Pakistani Muslim activists"! No, Mr. Nafisi, in case you were busy thinking how to write a trashy article and peddle it when Durban II was going on, the majority of the countries attending the conference, certainly the 108 members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), supported Ahmadinejad's anti-racism remarks.

Then comes... "The environment where Ahmadinejad grew up, meaning Iran under the Shah, was largely free of anti-Israel sentiments." I assure the culturally illiterate Mr. Nafisi that Iran, under the Shah, was NOT "free of anti-Israeli "sentiments". On the contrary, a lot of Iranians, certainly the educated class and even the Shah himself, solidly criticized Israel for its criminal and racist policies in the region.

Who cares if Ahmadinejad, or anyone else, have Jewish background?  Any Iranian with the word "Mousavi" as their middle or last name sure has Jewish background, including our nice and cuddly Ayatollah Rouhollah Mousavi Khomeini.

When I talk about shoddy work, this is what I mean, "He grew up in a village near a small town in the desert". What?!!! Gross misstatements like this or gross failure of fact checking are utterly unacceptable when one simple search on the web would show the culturally illiterate Mr. Nafisi that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's family moved to Tehran from a "small town in the dessert"! Since Mr. Nafisi has proved he either does not have the wherewithal do research simple things, or simply does not care, I did a simple search and came up with this:

Ahmadinejad, born Mahmoud Saborjhian was the son of a blacksmith, born near Garmsar in the village of Aradan in Talysh family on 28 October 1956.

In the 1950s, when he was still a baby, his family moved from Aradan to Narmak district in southern Tehran in search of more economic prosperity

Source: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad

Finally, something that I agree with, "many Iranian analysts believe their president's uncontrollable rage and hatred expressed in public are helping rather than hurting Israel".


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Quite true

by SmartAss (not verified) on

In fact both Israel and IRI depend heavily on "foreign threat" in order to survive and gather support from their people. If the foreign threat from either of these systems were to be removed completely, they would most likely either collapse quickly or undergo SIGNIFICANT changes to the point where they would not be recognizable anymore. Meanwhile check out Ahmadinejad's counterpart, the ZioNazis in spreading hatred: //iranian.com/main/2009/may/congresswoman...


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مردی از جنس مردم

حسین از اراک (not verified)


با سلام
با تمام وجودم ایران و ایرانی رو دوست دارم . علی الخصوص محمود احمدی نژاد رو که مردی است از جنس مردم ایشون واقعا در طول این 4 سال خاری شد به چشم دشمنان ایران که نمی خواستن خودکفایی ایران رو ببینن و امثال اون که نمیخواستن ببینن کسی برای مردم کار میکنه کارهایی که در هیچ دولتی شد در این دولت تمام شد . امیدوارم احمدی نژاد بار دیگر راتی بیاره و کارهای نیمه تمامش تمام بشه .
برای من همین بس که احمدی نژاد دزد نیست .
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