Iranophobia in Israel. Interview with professor Haggai Ram

**Russie1912** · 17-06-2010, 11:13 AM

"Iranophobia in Israel started immediately hand-in-hand with the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Then, with time, it took different shapes. It was not a static phenomenon, but a historical phenomenon that reacted both to prophecies and events that took place outside the boundaries of the Jewish state. And at times it was a reaction to phenomena and circumstances that took place within the boundaries of the Jewish state<...>.

The tragic thing is that both Israel and the United States see eye to eye with respect to the threat that a nuclear Iran might pose to them. Just a few days ago we had the head if the Joint Chiefs of Staff visiting Israel, announcing unequivocally the United States would not permit Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and if that should happen the US will help Israel in its attempt to eliminate that eventuality. So the fact that both Israel and the United States see eye to eye on that is not a very welcoming idea."

See the whole interview on Iranophobia. Interview with proofessor Haggai Ram | East+West Review Analytics Agency

**Barry** · 17-06-2010, 04:50 PM

Interesting...
Iranophobia? Not really come across that word before.
However I suppose it means a fear of Iran, which if I lived in Israel, I might well have.
Iran have after all, threatened to "wipe the Zionist entity off the map" and have a nuclear program, which is at the least suspicious, and at the worst intent on genocide.

I have, however, come across the term "anti-Semitism" before.

**Russie1912** · 18-06-2010, 08:52 AM

Don't you feel that Iranophobia is fast spreading across the world? I do.

**Midas** · 18-06-2010, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Russie1912

Don't you feel that Iranophobia is fast spreading across the world? I do.

Perhaps, but whether it's entirely justified or not remains to be seen. I have a strong suspicion that much of the anti-Iran propaganda is inspired by both the USA and Israel as a build-up to try to justify any future plans to attack that country, much as in the way that the Iraq invasion was justified on the false basis that they possessed weapons of mass destruction, circulated for months beforehand. Certainly some aspects of the Iranian government policies are repressive and there's no doubt that there's little love lost between Iran and 'the west' at both political and military levels, however as far as the average person in the street is concerned, from what I can gather from less biased media reports, talking to people who have been to the country, and my own experience in Tehran some years ago, the average Iranian simply wants to be left to get on with his/her own life free from all the political hatred which is spread on both sides of the fence. As far as I can see, the 'Iranian threat' is far more in the mind than in fact.

DC · 18-06-2010, 02:07 PM

Considering the US is mostly to blame for the current state of Iranian politics, I find it ironic it's pushing the tide of Iran-hate. Frankly at the end of the day I don't think anybody really cares. In Israel's case in particular though, well fear is really justified when you have Iran on one hand developing at least a suspicious Nuclear project, while the Big Ahmijididy spews 'destroy Israel' rhetoric.