On Saturday, I wrote a post summarizing an amazing CSIS report titled “Study on a Possible Israeli Strike on Iran’s Nuclear Development Facilities.”
It wasn’t until today that I read a message sent by Israeli President Shimon Peres to the Iranian people on the occasion of Novruz. Novruz in Persian means “New[-year]-day”, and is the beginning of the year for the people in Iran and in countries with common cultural heritages.
Since my post on the CSIS study was mostly about war, it might be appropriate to post Shimon Peres’ message to the people of Iran expressing hope that both peoples could once again live in peace.
(For the government of Iran, Peres had a different message—see below)
Dear citizens of Iran,
IRANIAN-EH AZIZ, RUZ-EH NOV VANORUZE BASTANT BEH SHOMA KHOSH BAD
With great happiness I would like to wish you, on the occasion of your holiday of Nowruz, a holiday of renewal that brings joy and hope for a new day, for better days, and for a new and blessed year. What a joy it is, this, your historical holiday that you have celebrated and kept for generations.
The people of Israel have lofty historical memories from the period in which Iran thrived in a variety of fields and contributed to the world, among other things, Cyrus’s ancient Bill of Rights, and to the Jewish people, our right to return to our land from the Babylonian Exile in order to establish the Temple in Jerusalem. Iran and its people therefore have a special place in our heritage.
Our relations with the Iranian people have also known good times in the modern period. We shared our experience in agriculture, industry, and scientific and medical development, and we cultivated the best possible relations.
To our great sadness, relations between our countries are at their lowest point. This derives from the leaders of your country, who are driven to act in every way possible against the State of Israel and its people, and even to threaten us with their intention to destroy us. I ask myself how a noble people like you can be caught up in a blind hatred like this, how you chose a leader who scorns the people who were murdered by the Nazis, and who wants to destroy and kill another country. You believe in God, and we believe in God, but in a God of life and respect, not a God of death and hate. I am sure that the day is not far when we will return to good neighborly relations, and effective cooperation will blossom once again, in every arena, for the benefit of our people and our shared futures.
At this time, when the current regime in Iran is calling for the destruction of Israel, we call for Iran to prosper. We remember Cyrus the Great, who is noted in the Bible as the liberating king, and we remember that our people lived in Iran for many generations, sharing in the building of the land and contributing to to its welfare and culture. We are certain and hopeful that the darkness and the evil will disappear from the world for the good of all of humanity.
On the occasion of the new year, I turn to the noble Iranian people in the name of the ancient Jewish people, and I wish that they will return to reclaim their rightful place amongst the enlightened nations of the world. They will be respected and not hated, and just as they have in the past, I am certain that they will make great cultural contributions in the future.
I will conclude with the traditional blessing:
NORUZETAN PIRUZ HAR RUZETAN NORUZ BAD
Peres’ message was broadcast on the Farsi-language service of the Voice of Israel radio station, that claims to have several million listeners in Iran.
A recording of these holiday wishes, in Hebrew and in Farsi is available at: [email protected]
In an interview accompanying the greeting, Peres took a tougher stand toward Iran’s leaders, harshly criticizing the leaders who came to power in the 1979 Islamic revolution as “religious fanatics” and predicting that the Iranian people would eventually topple them. Let’s put the interview somewhere in-between words of war and peace.
Peres’ greeting and interview came around the same time as a video message by President Obama to Iran in which he said that the U.S. is ready to end the many years of strained relations between the two countries, if the government of Iran improves its behavior.
Update: It has been pointed out to me that the address mentioned above to obtain a recording of the holiday wishes is an e-mail address.
I have not explored the contact yet, but apparently one has to e-mail Ayelet Frish, Spokesperson for the President of Israel at that address to obtain such a recording. Sorry for the confusion
Phone numbers (in Israel):
Ayelet Frish – Spokesperson for the President of Israel – 050.620.5111
Meital Jaslovitz – Assistant Spokesperson for the President – 050.420.5230
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.