Questioning the Minister of Culture in Parliament Following an Israeli Journalist's Visit to Iran

One month after the visit of an Israeli female journalist along with a tour of Western tourists to Iran, the aftershocks of that event continue in Tehran. The Islamic Consultative Assembly has summoned Ali Jannati, the Minister of Culture, and Masoud Soltani-Far, the head of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, to ask why the birthplace of this Israeli woman was not considered when issuing her visa. According to Laleh Eftekhari, a conservative faction representative, the Minister of Culture and the head of the Tourism Organization have been requested to appear in Parliament on Tuesday, April 20. Orly Azulai, a woman born in the city of Rishon Lezion in central Israel, traveled to Iran in March with a group of Western tourists. Two weeks ago, following the publication of Ms. Azulai's report in Yedioth Ahronoth in Tel Aviv, several Iranian officials accused the Ministry of Culture and Guidance of why a visa was issued for an Israeli journalist who has a significant background in journalism for one of Israel's most important newspapers. In this context, Hossein Nourollahi, the spokesman for the Ministry of Culture, said two weeks ago that since this woman did not apply for a visa as a journalist, the ministry has no responsibility regarding her entry into Iran. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), the Minister of Culture had previously stated that this female journalist entered Iran with her European passport and did not introduce herself as a journalist. However, Mohammad Saleh Jokar, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Parliament, said on Tuesday, April 20, that investigations by the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence indicate that this woman entered Iran with her American passport. Ms. Azulai, being born into a Moroccan Jewish family, in addition to her Israeli citizenship and passport, also holds a French passport, like many other Moroccan Jews. This 62-year-old woman has lived in the United States for years and also possesses an American passport. Meanwhile, according to ISNA, Mohammad Saleh Jokar stated that this woman did not engage in 'espionage' during her stay in Iran and had no 'specific connections', but her entry, while her birthplace is listed as Israel on her passport, needs to be investigated. According to Mr. Jokar, investigations by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence have shown that 'Azulai' entered Iran with 29 other Western tourists after a stop in Frankfurt, Germany. This parliament member said they want to prevent the entry of individuals born in Israel, as they may enter the country 'under the cover of foreign security services with specific objectives'. Ms. Azulai concealed the fact that she traveled to Iran with Western tourists in her travel reports in Yedioth Ahronoth, misrepresenting her trip as a daring act of an Israeli female journalist 'in the land of a thousand Ayatollahs'. She visited Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, and Hamadan with other tourists. Ms. Azulai has previously traveled to Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, and several other Arab and Islamic countries, and has also reported from North Korea. Ms. Azulai is the wife of Howard Arnstein, an American journalist responsible for CBS Radio in Washington.