2023-04-18 23:52:22
JERUSALEM: Iran’s crown prince in exile marked Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday during his visit to Israel, reflecting the deep ties his father once had with the country, unlike the current state of hostility between Israel and the Islamic Republic.
Reza Pahlavi, son of the last shah to rule Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, said this week that he would convey “a message of friendship from the Iranian people”.
He began his participation in Yom HaShoah, as it is called in Hebrew, on Monday evening, said Israeli Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel, who greeted him. He also got to see the Western Wall, meet the local Baha’i community, as well as Israeli Jews of Iranian descent, she added.
Gila Gamliel hailed Reza Pahlavi’s “courageous decision” to make his first visit to Israel.
“The crown prince symbolizes a leadership different from that of the ayatollahs’ regime, and advocates values of peace and tolerance, unlike the extremists who rule Iran,” she said.
“Together we will renew the bonds between nations for the sake of future generations,” Gamliel wrote ahead of the Yom HaShoah ceremony.
“We are very happy to be here and are committed to working for the peaceful and prosperous future that the people of our region deserve,” Pahlavi said in a Twitter post announcing his arrival.
Reza Pahlavi left Iran at theâage of 17 for a military flight school in the United States, just before his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, suffering from cancer, gave up the throne for exile. Then came the revolution, with the creation of the Islamic Republic, the takeover of the United States Embassy in Tehran and theIt iselimination of the last remnants of the US-backed monarchy.
Reza Pahlavi, who still resides in the United States, called for a peaceful revolution that would replace clerical rule with a parliamentary monarchy, enshrine human rights and modernize its economy It istattered.
It is unclear whether he can galvanize support for a return to power. His father ruled lavishly and repressively following a CIA-backed coup in 1953. The late shah also had close diplomatic and military ties to Israel.
This ended in 1979, when the leader of the Iranian revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, declared Israel an “enemy of Islam” and cut all ties with that country. Today, the two countries are sworn enemies. Israel views Iran as its greatest threat, due to that country’s calls for Israel’s destruction, its support for hostile militant groups on Israel’s borders, and its nuclear program. Iran disputes accusations by Israel and its Western allies that it is continuing to build a nuclear bomb.
“I want the people of Israel to know that the Islamic Republic does not represent the Iranian people. The historic ties between our peoples can be rekindled for the benefit of both nations,” Pahlavi said on Twitter.
* With PA
This text is the translation of an article published on Arabnews.com
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