Iran VP says Iranians are `friends' of Israelis

Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:34 AM EDT

TEHRAN — Iranian media are quoting the country's vice president as saying Iranians are "friends of all people in the world — even Israelis."

It is a rare instance of official Iranian media carrying an expression of sympathy toward Israelis from such a high-level official.

Several newspapers and the official Web site of Iran's tourism agency on Monday attributed the comment to Vice President Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, who is in charge of Iranian tourism and historical sites.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prompted international criticism when he said in 2005 that he believed Israel would one day be "wiped off the map."

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Regions: Iran , Israel , Tehran

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{"commentId":2425567,"authorDomain":"spikegary"}

Spikegary

.....and then he was carted off to a prison along with his wife and children and was never heard from again.

Cheers for him, though I doubt his bosses are very happy.

{"commentId":2425567,"threadId":"329951","contentId":"1738616","authorDomain":"spikegary"}

1 vote

#1 - Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:20 PM EDT

{"commentId":2430687,"authorDomain":null}

narcogen-204470

"even Israelis" in this context isn't an expression of sympathy. It's a punchline.

{"commentId":2430687,"threadId":"329951","contentId":"1738616"}

#2 - Tue Aug 12, 2008 4:53 AM EDT

{"commentId":2431181,"authorDomain":"spikegary"}

Spikegary

Off subject, but #2 dooesn't have an author tag on it. Kind of weird.

{"commentId":2431181,"threadId":"329951","contentId":"1738616","authorDomain":"spikegary"}

1 vote

#3 - Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:23 AM EDT

{"commentId":2458314,"authorDomain":"aRTieA"}

aRTieA

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=16905

Iranian VP in trouble for saying Iran is friend of Israel

Iranian lawmakers are calling for Vice President Esfandier Rahim Mashai's head after he stated earlier this week that Iran is "friends of all people in the world, even Israelis."

More than 200 Iranian parliamentarians signed a letter to President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad demanding that he "deal with his deputy with severity."

In the statement, the Iranian lawmakers insisted that Mashai's remarks were "shameful," and that "we do not recognize a country called Israel, let alone its people."

{"commentId":2458314,"threadId":"329951","contentId":"1738616","authorDomain":"aRTieA"}

1 vote

#4 - Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:15 PM EDT

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Backyard

Iran VP says Iranians are `friends' of Israelis

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