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."

3 Votes
Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.

Published to:

Associated Press's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: none
Regions: Iran , Israel , Tehran

Public Discussion (4)

What's this?

Who's leading the conversation?

This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user has on the current conversation. The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera). Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the left, in their corresponding group. Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.

2.0

{"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

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"329951","isPrivate":false}

Backyard

Iran VP says Iranians are `friends' of Israelis

Published to:

FUN STUFF:

COMPANY STUFF:

LEGAL STUFF: