Iranian-Israeli relations

Iranian-Israeli relations

Israel	Iran

The relationship between Iran and Israel was friendly until the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 . Since then, Iran no longer recognizes Israel as a legitimate state, but instead describes the Israeli government as the “Zionist regime” of the so-called “occupied territories” , supports radical Islamic terror groups in the armed struggle against Israel and repeatedly threatens to exterminate Israel. Since then, Israel has viewed the Iranian leadership as "the greatest threat to Israel". Iran calls the United States the "Great Satan" while Israel is called "Little Satan".

Biblical times

Iranian Jews in the city of Hamadan , 1917

The beginning of the relationship between Israel and Iran can be traced back to biblical times. The books of Daniel , Ezra , Nehemiah , the 1st book of the Chronicle , the 2nd book of the Chronicle and the Book of Esther refer directly to the life of Jews in Persia . The Book of Ezra refers to the decision of the Persian king to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the ruined temple. The temple is in Ezra (6, 14) is directly connected decrees of Cyrus II. , I. Darius and Artaxerxes I. associated. The new temple is dated to the late sixth century BC. Dated to a time when there was a large Jewish community in Persia.

Jews have lived on the territory of what is now Iran for more than 2,700 years. The first Jewish community in Persia goes back to the defeat of the Israelites against the Assyrians in 722 BC. BC conquered the northern empire and dragged its upper class into captivity according to the media, among other things . 586 BC Chr. It was the Babylonians , large parts of the population of the kingdom of Judah into Babylonian exile exiled.

Relations before the Iranian Revolution

Iranian Minister Reza Saffinia visits President Chaim Weizmann at his house in Rehovot on Independence Day , 1950

During the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , relations between Iran and Israel were good. Iran was one of the first states to recognize Israel's right to exist and its independence in 1948. In the Middle East conflict, Israel viewed Iran as an ally vis-à-vis the Arab states. In addition to Israel, Iran was also allied with the USA, which improved the situation from Israel's point of view. The diplomatic and in particular the economic relations have steadily expanded over the years. Israel maintained a permanent delegation in Tehran, which performed the functions of an embassy.

After the Six Day War, Iran supplied Israel with oil. Israel built the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline in 1968 , through which Iranian oil reached Europe. Numerous Israeli construction companies and engineers worked in Iran. There was also cooperation between Iran and Israel on matters of military equipment. Towards the end of the 1970s, the Iranian and Israeli military developed a water-water missile with a range of about 200 km under the code word Flower . This project was approved by the Israeli Defense Minister and the Iranian Deputy War Minister at a meeting in Tel Aviv in 1977, but never implemented.

Despite the close economic ties between Iran and Israel during this period, the representative of Iran at the United Nations voted in 1975 to adopt UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 , which placed Israel on a par with South Africa and Rhodesia . In its last sentence, the resolution identified Zionism as a form of racism and racial discrimination .

Relationships after the Islamic Revolution

Khomeini (1979-1989)

During the Islamic Revolution , Iran severed all political, economic or other contact with Israel. All agreements and treaties that had been concluded between Israel and Iran in the past have been annulled by order of the revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini . The murder of the President of the Jewish Society of Tehran, the self-made millionaire and owner of the Plasco factories, Habib Elghanian , by a firing squad on May 9, 1979, three months after Khomeini's return, is considered to be the starting signal for the exodus of the originally 65,000 Iranians of Jewish faith to approx. 8700 today.

The Islamic revolution in Iran led to a fundamental change in relations between the two states. The fight against Israel became Iranian state doctrine. The leadership of Iran, which had now been transformed into an Islamic theocracy , no longer recognized Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. Iran is instead striving for a state of Palestine on the territory of today's Israel and describes the entire UN-recognized state of Israel as "occupied territories" and the Israeli government as the "Zionist regime" . Part of this state propaganda is the annual " Al-Quds Day " proclaimed by Khomeini .

During the Iran-Iraq war , Iran procured weapons from Israel for about $ 500 million annually. After 1985, Israel sold American weapons to Iran, primarily missiles and spare parts for the fighter-bomber fleet, valued at around $ 2 billion. This led to a political scandal in 1987 known as the Iran-Contra Affair . Israeli arms sales continued after the war, albeit more sporadically.

Chamenei (1989-2005)

Khomeini's successor, Ali Khamenei , also demonizes Israel. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc , the controversial resolution 3379 was withdrawn on December 16, 1991 by the UN General Assembly by 111 votes to 25 with 13 abstentions ( resolution 46/86 ). Neither an Arab state nor Iran voted for the withdrawal.

The Supreme Leader of Iran describes Israel as "a cancerous tumor" in the Middle East that "must and will be removed." In addition, Iran supports radical Islamic terror groups such as Hezbollah , Hamas and Islamic Jihad in their armed struggle against Israel. This leads to a "proxy war" in the Middle East. Israel therefore regards the Iranian leadership as Israel's greatest enemy. Tensions between the two countries have increased further, particularly because of the Iranian nuclear program . In a sermon in the mosque of Tehran University on December 14, 2001, the former President Ali Akbar Hāschemi Rafsanjāni called for the nuclear annihilation of Israel. Among other things, he said a single atomic bomb could destroy everything in Israel and solve the Israeli problem . Even so, Iran denies the development of nuclear nuclear weapons, while the US and many other states fear it. Israel feels threatened in its existence by a possible nuclear armament of Iran.

Ahmadinejad (2005-2013)

In Iran, however, anti-Israeli propaganda is being spread more and more. In particular, the former President of Iran, Mahmud Ahmadinejad , was very aggressive in advocating the Iranian state doctrine in this regard. He described Israel as a "Zionist occupying regime", publicly denied the Holocaust on several occasions and organized a Holocaust conference in Tehran in December 2006 , at which anti-Zionists , right-wing extremists and Islamists from 30 countries questioned or denied the Holocaust and denied Israel's right to exist .

In 2009, Ahmadinejad made his friend Esfandiar Rahim Maschaie , known for his more Israel-friendly statements , as his deputy. Maschaie had stated, among other things, "that our relations with the Israeli people are not hostile" and "not all of the Israeli people wear [military] boots on the street". After the controversial Iranian presidential elections in 2009, however, the vice-president-elect had to resign due to such statements under pressure from the conservative camp.

Although the Jews in Iran are an officially recognized religious minority, they are often discriminated against by the state and the majority Shiite population. Therefore, the number of Iranians of the Jewish faith has fallen sharply due to waves of emigration.

Due to the persistent possibility of an Iranian atomic bomb, which, according to intelligence reports, could become a reality in the near future, the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak also sees a military solution as becoming more and more likely and tested a long-range missile at the beginning of November 2011. An Israeli attack on the Iranian nuclear facilities is inconceivable without participation or at least the green light from the USA. The Iranian nuclear facilities are located at a distance between 1500 km and 3000 km from Israel. The Israeli military would therefore have to rely on American help to refuel the Israeli aircraft in the air. In addition, Israel and its American ally would be exposed to acts of revenge from Iran's non-state allies, including Hezbollah and various Palestinian movements. As early as 2008, Israel is said to have asked the USA for the delivery of the most modern bunker-breaking bombs to attack the Iranian nuclear facilities. In addition, Israel is said to have asked for overflight rights over the US-controlled areas of Iraq. Both requests were rejected by US President George W. Bush . The American General Staff estimates that Israeli air strikes against the Iranian nuclear program could only delay it by two years, but would not destroy it. So the effect of such an Israeli strike would be short-term. Such air strikes could, however, strengthen the Iranian leadership. In addition, it would most likely lead to a sharp rise in the price of oil, because Iran has already threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz in this case .

In April 2013, the US decided to supply Israel with defensive weapons worth around $ 3 billion. The arms deliveries are said to be directed against Iran, which, according to Moshe Jaalon, is a threat to the security and stability of the Middle East. Anti-radar missiles, radar systems, KC-135 Stratotanker tankers and Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey troop carriers are to be delivered. This should give Israel's army the most modern weapons in the region.

Rohani (since 2013)

The cleric Hassan Rouhani , who won the presidential election on June 14, 2013 in the first round with 51 percent, is considered moderate by Iranian standards. In the nuclear dispute, he advocates a compromise to lift the sanctions that led to a devastating economic crisis . In his rejection of Israel, like other moderates, he hardly differs from the conservatives. In 2014, during a panel discussion at the 44th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum , Rouhani denied inquiries by WEF founder Klaus Schwab whether he was also seeking friendly relations with Israel, which the Islamic Republic of Iran has not yet recognized.

“We have hostilities with some countries to resolve differences. We want healthy relationships with all countries [...] that we have officially recognized. "

- Hassan Rouhani

In 2015, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei predicted the destruction of Israel within the next 25 years. As a result, large digital clocks were set up in Tehran and elsewhere, which publicly count the countdown to 2040.

With several missile tests in early March 2016, Iran underscored its hostile stance towards Israel. According to the state news agency Fars , the bullets tested were labeled with the sentence "Israel must be erased". In addition, a high-ranking commander of the Revolutionary Guard stated in this context that the Iranian missile program was directed against Israel: "We built our missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers in order to be able to hit our enemy, the Zionist regime, from a safe distance."

On April 30, 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a secret Iranian nuclear program . At a press conference held in English, he presented alleged evidence of Iran's nuclear weapons and called for the termination or renegotiation of the nuclear deal with Iran and the reintroduction of economic sanctions. After President Donald Trump announced on 8 May 2018, the United States that withdraw from the nuclear deal and the sanctions will be put back in place against the country that made Israeli military the Quds elite unit of the Revolutionary Guard and its commander General Qasem Soleimani responsible , on the night of May 10, 2018 , to have fired 20 rockets from the area around Damascus at advanced Israeli positions in the Golan Heights . Four of the Grad and Fajr-5 missiles are said to have intercepted the Iron Dome defense system , while the other 16 had landed on Syrian territory. Israel reported no casualties. In retaliation, the Israeli Air Force flew its largest air strike in many years. Together with artillery Israel attacked more than fifty Iran associated targets throughout Syria, including barracks , ammunition depots , logistical facilities, Spähposten the Iranian military reconnaissance , different positions and guides the Revolutionary Guards, radars and anti-aircraft , missile launchers and early army post in the Golan Heights. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) then said that at least 23 fighters, including Syrian soldiers, had been killed in the bombing. The observatory had previously observed rocket attacks on the Golan Heights. However, they cannot say who the attacks came from. When asked how Israel knew that the Quds Brigades were behind the attack, military spokesman Conricus replied: "We just know."

On November 24, 2018, at a conference for Islamic unity, Iranian President Hassan Rohani described the state of Israel as a cancer that the West had created.

On January 13, 2019, the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed that the air strikes on military targets located at Damascus International Airport , which are said to be Iranian weapons caches, had been carried out by the Israeli army . One wants to act against a military establishment of Iran in Syria.

See also

• Foreign policy of Israel
• Foreign policy of Iran
• Holocaust denial

Web links

Commons : Iranian-Israeli Relations  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Anti-Semites in Tehran , Die Zeit, November 3, 2005.
2. ^ Focus Online, Nov 2011. [1] . Retrieved May 31, 2013
3. ↑ Ulrich Ladurner : DIE ZEIT, March 20, 2003 No. 13 In league with the "great Satan"
4. ↑ Spiegel.de of January 25, 2006 Iranian minister calls Israel "little Satan"
5. ^ "Israel and the Origins of Iran's Arab Option: Dissection of a Strategy Misunderstood," Middle East Journal, Vol. 60, Number 3, Summer 2006.
6. ↑ YNet News: The Islamic Republic of Iran
7. ↑ Israeli-Iranian military relations ( Memento of the original from December 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
8. ^ ^{A b} Elise Ganem: Iran-Israël: De l'affrontement politique à l'intervention militaire? , in: Firouzeh Nahavandi (ed.): L'Iran dans le monde , Paris (L'Harmattan) 2013, ISBN 978-2-343-01460-9 , p. 139.
9. ^ NTI: Iran Profile. Missile Overview ( Memento of the original from December 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
10. ↑ Times com, May 21, 1979
11. ↑ Jewish woman brutally murdered in Iran over property dispute. The Times of Israel, November 28, 2012, accessed on August 16, 2014 : "A government census published earlier this year indicated there were a mere 8,756 Jews left in Iran" 
12. ↑ FARS News Agency, June 2011. Archive link ( Memento of the original from March 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved May 31, 2013. 
13. ↑ Ray Takeyh: Hidden Iran: Paradox and Power in the Islamic Republic. New York 2007.
14. ^ Focus Online, Nov 2011. [2] . Retrieved May 31, 2013
15. ↑ Iran: We will help 'cut out the cancer of Israel. In: The Telegraph, Feb. 3, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2013. [3]
16. ↑ Kirkpatrick, Jeane (1988). Legitimacy and Force: Natural and International Dimensions, Transaction Publishers, p. 6th
17. ↑ Beker, Avi (1988). The United Nations and Israel: From Recognition to Reprehension, Lexington Books. p. 96
18. ↑ Cohen, Getzel M. (2006). The Hellenistic Settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa. University of California Press. p. 420
19. ↑ Moaveni, Azadeh: "Roxana Saberi and How Journalism Works in Iran." Time. Time Inc. Retrieved May 31, 2013. [4]
20. ↑ Iran's Foreign Policy
21. ↑ Iran's ex-president threatens Israel with the use of nuclear weapons In: Israelnetz.de , January 4, 2002, accessed on August 11, 2018.
22. ↑ Iran and Israel allegedly talk about nuclear policy , Zeit Online, October 22, 2009.
23. ^ Israel's Defense Policy
24. ↑ Ahmadinejad again denies the Holocaust , Süddeutsche Zeitung, May 17, 2010.
25. ↑ http://english.farsnews.ir/newstext.php?nn=8705221294  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
26. ↑ http://english.farsnews.ir/newstext.php?nn=8705221294  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
27. ↑ Confrontation with the Ayatollah ( memento of the original from July 26, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Süddeutsche.de of July 22, 2009 
28. ↑ Judaism in Iran
29. ↑ ZEIT ONLINE of November 5, 2011 Israeli military strike against Iran is approaching (accessed on November 5, 2011)
30. ^ Elise Ganem: Iran-Israël: De l'affrontement politique à l'intervention militaire? , in: Firouzeh Nahavandi (ed.): L'Iran dans le monde , Paris (L'Harmattan) 2013, ISBN 978-2-343-01460-9 , p. 147.
31. ^ Karen DeYoung: US Thwarted Israeli Plan to Bomb Iranian Nuclear Facility. Washington Post , January 11, 2009, accessed March 3, 2018 . 
32. ^ Elise Ganem: Iran-Israël: De l'affrontement politique à l'intervention militaire? , in: Firouzeh Nahavandi (ed.): L'Iran dans le monde , Paris (L'Harmattan) 2013, ISBN 978-2-343-01460-9 , p. 150.
33. ↑ USA arm Israel: strike against Iran is becoming more and more likely . RIA Novosti Online April 23, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
34. ↑ Alexandra Föderl-Schmid: Iran advertises, Israel warns . In: Der Standard , January 23, 2014.
35. ^ State-organized hatred of Israel. In: Israelnetz .de. July 8, 2019, accessed July 22, 2019 . 
36. ^ Military maneuvers: Iran provokes with another missile test. In: Spiegel Online . March 9, 2016, accessed March 14, 2016 . 
37. ↑ Netanyahu on confrontation with Iran. In: DW.com (Deutsche Welle). May 6, 2018, accessed May 7, 2018 . 
38. ↑ Max Holscher: Nuclear Deal: Trump announces exit from Iran agreement. In: Spiegel Online. May 8, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018 . 
39. ↑ ^{a b} https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article176222912/Nach-dem-Angriff-auf-Israel-Das-gescheiterte-Kalkuel-des-iranischen-Kommandeurs.html
40. ↑ Jochen Stahnke: What are the consequences of the fighting? In: FAZ.net . May 10, 2018, accessed October 13, 2018 . 
41. ↑ Oliver Holmes, Saeed Kamali Dehghan: Fears grow as Israel and Iran edge closer to conflict. In: TheGuardian.com. May 10, 2018, accessed May 10, 2018 . 
42. ↑ Netanyahu sees the “red line” crossed. In: ZEIT Online. May 10, 2018, accessed May 10, 2018 . 
43. ^ Rohani: Israel is a cancerous tumor. In: Israelnetz .de. November 26, 2018, accessed December 26, 2018 . 
44. ↑ Netanyahu confirms many air strikes on Iranian targets in Syria. In: DW.com (Deutsche Welle). January 13, 2019, accessed January 13, 2019 .