IRAN IS A THREAT TO THE ENTIRE WORLD
What Netanyahu said…
“In our nearly 4,000 years of history, many have tried repeatedly to destroy the Jewish people. A powerful Persian viceroy named Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people some 2,500 years ago. But a courageous Jewish woman, Queen Esther, exposed the plot and gave the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against their enemies. The plot was foiled. Our people were saved. But Iran’s regime is not merely a Jewish problem, any more than the Nazi regime was merely a Jewish problem. The 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis were but a fraction of the 60 million people killed in World War II. So, too, Iran’s regime poses a grave threat, not only to Israel, but also the peace of the entire world.”
…and what the reality is:
“It is truly, truly regrettable that bigotry gets to the point of making allegations against an entire nation which has saved Jews three times in its history: once during the time of a prime minister who was trying to kill the Jews, and the king saved the Jews; again during the time of Cyrus the Great, where he saved the Jews from Babylon; and during the second World War, where Iran saved the Jews. We’re not about the annihilation of Jews. We have a history of tolerance and cooperation and living together in coexistence with our own Jewish people, and with Jews everywhere in the world. If people want to espouse fear mongering to fan such hysteria in the world, that’s to their detriment. 20,000 Jews reside in Iran in peace and even have their own representative in parliament.” –Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
IRAN IS A MENACE TO GLOBAL PEACE
What Netanyahu said…
“Iran’s goons in Gaza, its lackeys in Lebanon, its revolutionary guards on the Golan Heights are clutching Israel with three tentacles of terror. Backed by Iran, Assad is slaughtering Syrians. Backed by Iran, Shiite militias are rampaging through Iraq. Backed by Iran, Houthis are seizing control of Yemen, threatening the strategic straits at the mouth of the Red Sea. Along with the Straits of Hormuz, that would give Iran a second choke-point on the world’s oil supply.
For the last 36 years, Iran’s attacks against the United States have been anything but mock. And the targets have been all too real. Iran took dozens of Americans hostage in Tehran, murdered hundreds of American soldiers, Marines, in Beirut, and was responsible for killing and maiming thousands of American service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. Beyond the Middle East, Iran attacks America and its allies through its global terror network. If Iran’s aggression is left unchecked, more will surely follow.”
…and what the reality is:
“Iran is commonly thought of as a homogeneous nation with a strong national culture, but minorities like the Azeris, Kurds, Gilakis, Baluchis, Turkmen and others make up nearly half of the population. Iranian families have released their daughters to study and work in unprecedented numbers, such that over 60% of university students now are female and many women, even married women, have professional jobs. Iran has preserved some of the most stunning Islamic architecture in the world, as well as traditions of artisan metalworking, rug making and bazaar trading: a complex and sophisticated urban culture… Iranians glory in their literary heritage and above all in their poetry, to a degree one finds in few other countries, with the possible exception of Russia.” –Michael Axworthy, author of, “A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind.”
IRAN IS A POTENTIAL NUCLEAR THREAT
What Netanyahu said…
“Right now, Iran could be hiding nuclear facilities that we don’t know about, the US and Israel. As the former head of inspections for the IAEA said in 2013, he said, “If there’s no undeclared installation today in Iran, it will be the first time in 20 years that it doesn’t have one.” Iran has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted. And that’s why the first major concession is a source of great concern. It leaves Iran with a vast nuclear infrastructure and relies on inspectors to prevent a breakout. That concession creates a real danger that Iran could get to the bomb by violating the deal.”
…and what the reality is:
“We are against nuclear weapons, not because of the US or others, but because of our beliefs. And when we say no one should have nuclear weapons, we definitely do not pursue it ourselves either.
Nuclear weapons are neither a security provider, nor a cause of consolidation of political power but rather a threat to both. The events of the 1990’s proved that possessing such weapons would not save any regimes, including the Soviet Union. Today as well, we know countries who are faced with fatal torrents of insecurity, despite having nuclear bombs.
Nuclear weapons are not at all beneficial to us. Moreover, from an ideological and fiqhi (juridical) perspective, we consider developing nuclear weapons as unlawful. We consider using such weapons as a big sin. We also believe that keeping such weapons is futile and dangerous, and we will never go after them. Islam is opposed to nuclear weapons and Tehran is not working to build them.” –Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.
IRAN IS A TERROR STATE
What Netanyahu said…
“Iran and ISIS are competing for the crown of militant Islam. One calls itself the Islamic Republic, the other calls itself the Islamic State. Both want to impose a militant Islamic empire first on the region and then on the entire world. They just disagree among themselves who will be the ruler of that empire. In this deadly game of thrones, there’s no place for America or for Israel, no peace for Christians, Jews or Muslims who don’t share the Islamist medieval creed, no rights for women, no freedom for anyone. So when it comes to Iran and ISIS, the enemy of your enemy is your enemy.
The difference is that ISIS is armed with butcher knives, captured weapons and YouTube, whereas Iran could soon be armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs. We must always remember – I’ll say it one more time – the greatest dangers facing our world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons. To defeat ISIS and let Iran get nuclear weapons would be to win the battle, but lose the war. We can’t let that happen.”
…and what the reality is:
“Iran is fighting a parallel war against the Islamic State. It was Iran that organized Iraq’s Shiite militias last August to break a week-long Islamic State siege of Amerli; American bombs provided support from warplanes. It was also Iran’s Quds Force that backed Iraq’s Shiite militias and Iraqi security forces in November to liberate the central city of Baiji from the Islamic State, breaking the siege of a nearby oil refinery.
Obama is becoming increasingly dependent on Iranian fighters as he tries to contain the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria, without committing American ground troops. Iran’s involvement is helping the Iraqis hold the line against Islamic State advances until American military advisers are finished training Iraq’s armed forces.” –Helene Cooper, of The New York Times.
IRAN SEEKS TO DESTROY ISRAEL
What Netanyahu said…
“Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, spews the oldest hatred, the oldest hatred of anti-Semitism with the newest technology. He tweets that Israel must be annihilated. You know, in Iran, there isn’t exactly free internet. But he tweets in English that Israel must be destroyed. So, at a time when many hope that Iran will join the community of nations, Iran is busy gobbling up the nations. We must all stand together to stop Iran’s march of conquest, subjugation and terror.”
…and what the reality is:
“The current Israeli regime is a threat to Iran as it’s a regime that engages in the killing of innocent children, a regime that engages in acts of aggression. Israel threatens to use force against Iran almost on a daily basis… of course, if they did use force against Iran, we would defend ourselves as we have done with great sacrifice in the past. But we are not invading, we are not threatening anybody. We have not threatened anybody for 250 years. While Netanyahu has a record full of infanticide, full of killing of innocent people, full of aggression against his neighbor, full of occupation.” –Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
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