Israeli Prime Minister Releases Video Message to the People of Iran

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, who has promised to share his plans to stop the JCPOA with U.S. President Donald Trump at the earliest opportunity, addressed the people of Iran in a video message. In this video, published in English with Persian subtitles on the official YouTube channel of the Israeli Prime Minister's office, he reiterated his decision to negotiate with the new U.S. President about 'how to confront the threat of the Iranian regime that seeks the destruction of Israel.' Recently, Netanyahu stated that he has at least five plans ready to counter the Iran nuclear deal, which he will present during his first meeting with Donald Trump. Meanwhile, just hours before Trump's inauguration ceremony, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed that some senior security officials in Israel consider the JCPOA beneficial for both Iran and Israel and have warned about the consequences of its cancellation. Donald Trump has described the JCPOA as a very bad deal and promised to review it, with many of his proposed cabinet members also discussing intensified oversight of its implementation. It is still unclear when the Israeli Prime Minister's meeting with the new U.S. President is scheduled, but it is expected that Benjamin Netanyahu will be one of the first guests at the White House during Donald Trump's administration. In his video message, Netanyahu acknowledged that during his years in office, he has spoken a lot about the Iranian regime but has not addressed the Iranian people 'enough.' He stated that he knows the people of Iran prefer to experience a life without fear and that 'free speech' is their desire, wanting to love whom they choose without fear of torture or execution. He mentioned that he understands the Iranian people want to browse freely on the internet and should not have to use VPNs to bypass internet censorship to access videos like his message. He referred to the 'glorious history' and 'rich culture' of the Iranian people while expressing regret that they are 'chained by a religious tyranny.' The Israeli Prime Minister then described a 'free Iran' where people can 'grow and flourish without any limitations,' reminding that currently 'a tyrannical government seeks to keep them under its control.' Netanyahu also referenced the killing of 'youths thirsty for change' during the street protests of 2009, particularly mentioning Neda Agha-Soltan, stating that her last breaths will not be forgotten. He continued in the video by reminding that 'this ruthless regime continues to deprive the Iranian people of freedom,' 'prevents thousands of candidates from participating in elections,' 'steals the wealth that belongs to the poor to fund a mass murderer like Bashar al-Assad,' and 'by daily repeating the demand for the destruction of Israel,' hopes to institutionalize enmity between the two peoples. Netanyahu then emphasized to the Iranian people, 'This is a mistake. We are your friends, not your enemies.' He stated that Israel always distinguishes between the Iranian people and the Iranian government, describing the Iranian regime as 'ruthless and belligerent,' emphasizing that the Iranian people are not like that. The Israeli Prime Minister expressed hope that one day the people of Iran and Israel would meet freely again in 'Tehran and Isfahan, and Tel Aviv and Jerusalem,' stressing that 'the fanatics must not prevail and their ruthlessness must not overcome our kindness.' He asserted that the peoples of Iran and Israel 'can work hand in hand towards a more peaceful future filled with greater hope for both nations.' In conclusion, the Israeli Prime Minister reminded that 'we must overcome terror and tyranny, and ensure that freedom and friendship will ultimately prevail.' Although Netanyahu acknowledged that he has spoken more about the Iranian government than the Iranian people in recent years, some of his predecessors have spoken to the Iranian people on occasions like Nowruz, expressing their hopes for peace and friendship between the two countries. For instance, on the last day of Esfand 1390, a congratulatory message from then-President Shimon Peres was published, initially in Persian and then in Hebrew, wishing the Iranian people a happy Nowruz 1391. In this message, Peres also urged Iranian leaders to 'stop threatening others' and move towards 'peace and peaceful coexistence.' Iran does not recognize Israel as an independent country, and Iranian officials rarely refer to this country directly in their official discourse. In recent decades, especially in the years following the establishment of the Islamic Republic, a significant number of Iranian Jews have immigrated to Israel, with some holding high positions in the country, including Moshe Katsav, a former President of Israel, and Shaul Mofaz, a former Minister of Defense. In this context, Haaretz reported warnings from some Israeli security officials about the consequences of canceling the JCPOA, stating that 'intelligence monitoring' is a key issue to prevent Iran from deception regarding the JCPOA.