Iran, Israel and the Middle East Conflict1

Bibliographic Data

ID12540689
AuthorsDavid Menashri (corresponding author)
Year2006
Volume12
Issue1
Pages107-122
Publication date2006-01-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueIsrael Affairs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1353-7121 • E-ISSN: 1743-9086
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13537120500381901
OpenAlexW2027132322
LanguageEN
Citations received9

The Islamic revolution in Iran led to a dramatic change in the country's foreign policy outlook and in its involvement in the international arena. Gradually, however, the new regime was forced to adapt its dogma to reality, and became increasingly pragmatic. One major area in which Iran's policy has remained excessively uncompromising has been the inherent hostility to Israel, rejection of Zionism and the legitimacy of the Jewish state. In this case, ideological hostility did not seem to conflict with pragmatic interests of state. The attitudes expressed by Iranian politicians, polemicists and intellectuals towards Israel have come to represent the ideological framework and political reality of the state. Notes 1. This article has been reproduced, in part, from my book Post-Revolutionary Politics in Iran: Religion, Society and Power London: Frank Cass, 2001. 2. Neither of the main camps – one generally defined as 'reformists' or 'pragmatists' and the other 'conservatives' or 'hard-liners' – is coherent and there are many sub-groupings within each of them. The terms 'reformists' and 'conservatives' are used here only to make distinction between the two main currents and for the convenience of the discussion. Regarding Israel, however, their differences are not as substantial as in other policy spheres. 3. For revealing expressions by Khomeini on Israel and Zionism, see his collected statements, Dar Jostejou-e Rah az Kalam-e Imam: Az Bayanat va E'elamiyeha-ye Imam Khomeini (In Search of the Path: Through the Words and Statements of Imam Khomeini), Vol. 19, Felestin va Sahionism (Palestine and Zionism), Tehran, 1984. For statements regarding Jews, see idem, Azadi Aqaliyatha-ye Mazhabi (Freedom of Religious Minorities), Tehran, 1984. 4. 'Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Isra'il va Qods-e 'Aziz (Israel and the Beloved Holy Land), Qom, n.d. Rafsanjani also translated Akram Zu'ayters book al-Qadiya al-Filastiniyya (The Palestinian Problem) into Persian; 'Ali Akbar Velayati, Iran va Mas'aleh-ye Felestin (Iran and the Question of Palestine), Tehran, 1997. 5. 'Ali Akbar Behbudikhwah, 'Naqd-e Towjihat-e Ta'rikhi-ye Sahionism dar mowred-e Mashru'iyyat-e Rezhim-e Qods' (Historical Justifications Concerning the Legitimacy of the Occupying Regime of Jerusalem) Siyasat-e Khareji, Vol. III, No. 2 (Spring–Summer 1989), pp. 314–317. See similarly the words of Speaker 'Ali Akbar Nateq-Nuri as published by the Islamic Republic's News Agency (IRNA), 7 February 1997, and the BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 8 February 1997. 6. Rafsanjani, Isra'il va Qods-e 'Aziz, p. 5. 7. Jomhuri-ye Islami, 24 August 1995. 8. Rafsanjani, Isra'il va Qods-e 'Aziz, p. 43. 9. Radio Tehran, 9 October 1996; Daily Report, Foreign Broadcast Information Service (DR), 11 October 1996. 10. Hamid Algar, Islam and Revolution: Writings and Declarations of Imam Khomeini, Berkeley, 1981, pp. 177–178. 11. Even the Israeli attack on Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981, which eventually served Iran's interests, was viewed as 'another example of the conspiracy' between Israel and the Arab states against Iran: Textbook in history (Ta'rikh), grade III of intermidiary school, edition of 1360 (1981–82), p. 109. 12. Khomeini in a letter to Iranian students, 10 July 1972, Hamid Algar, Islam and Revolution, p. 210. 13. Tehran Times, 25 September 1994; DR, 30 September 1994. 14. Ettela'at, 29 December 1979. 15. Jomhuri-ye Islami, 14 January 1999. 16. IRNA, 9 December 1997. See also his press conference, IRNA, 14 December 1997. 17. David Menashri, Post-Revolutionary Politics in Iran: Religion, Society and Power London: 2002 pp. 288–289. 18. Tehran Television, 2 May 1998 (DR). 19. Faslnameh-ye Khavarmiyaneh, Vol. I, No. 1 (Summer 1994), pp. 11, 24, 31–35. 20. 'Abdollah Nuri, Showkaran-e Eslah (Hemlock For Advocate of Reform: The Complete Text of Nuri's Defense at the Special Clerical Tribunal), Tehran, 1999, pp. 126–129, 176–179, 252–253. 21. Akbar Ganji, Talaqqi-ye Fashisti az Din va Hokumat (The Fascist Interpretation of Religion and Government), Tehran, 2000, pp. 116–124, 143–151; Ganji, Naqdi Bara-ye Tamam-e Fosul: Goftogu-ye Akbar Ganji ba 'Abdollah Nuri (Critique for All Seasons: Akbar Ganji's Conversation with 'Abdollah Nuri), Tehran, 2000, pp. 58–59. 22. Arzeshha, 18 January 1999. 23. Jomhuri-ye Islami, 25 May 1999. 24. See articles in Tehran Times, 31 May, 1, 2 June 1999 (DR). 25. Tehran Times, 20 May 1999 (DR). 26. Nuri, Showkaran-e Eslah, pp. 144–151. 27. Mobin, 14 August 1999, in Iran Press Analysis, 22 August 1999. 28. Proceedings of the Knesset, 20 January 1993. 29. Yedi'ot Aharonot and Ha'aretz, 30 December 1994. 30. Ha'aretz, 20 January 1998. 31. Ma'ariv and Yedi'ot Aharonot, 27 September 1998. 32. Discourse, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Summer 1999), p. 25. 33. Author's interviews. See similarly, Ha'aretz, 8 July and 8 August 1999. 34. Ha'aretz, 8 July and 8 August 1999. 35. Yedi'ot Aharonot, 1 June 2000. 36. Jerusalem Post, 5 April 2000. The author heard similar views from another minister in Barak's government. 37. Even earlier, in 1999, 13 Jews were arrested on charges of spying for Israel, and in June 2000, 10 of them were convicted and jailed. 38. Radio Tehran, 20 October 2000 (DR). 39. See, for example, his statement published by Reuters, 15 December 2000. 40. Jomhuri-ye Islami, 25 November 2000 (DR). 41. Agence France Presse (AFP), 22 April 2001. 42. IRNA, 24 April 2001. 43. Radio Tehran, 27 October 2000; Radio Tehran, 19 January 2001 (DR); IRNA, 11 May 2001. 44. Radio Tehran, AFP, 14 December; Iran News and Kayhan, 15 December 2001. 45. IRNA, 24 April 2001; AFP, 22 and 24 April 2001. 46. Kayhan International, in IRNA, 5 April 2003. 47. Seyyed Mohammad Reza Dinparva, in Iran, 6 April; BBC, 8 April 2003. 48. IRNA, 1 June 2003. 49. IRNA, 4 June 2003. 50. Haim Malka, 'Must Innocents Die? The Islamic Debate over Suicide Attacks', Middle East Quarterly (Spring 2003), http://www.meforum.org/article/530 51. Radio Tehran, 29 November 2002 (BBC). 52. RFE/RL Newsline, 7/83, 2 May 2003. 53. Seda-ye 'Edalat, 24 December 2001 (DR). 54. New York Times, 14 and 15 May 2003. 55. Under certain circumstances, the first condition may be sufficient in itself to promote such a change. A breakthough in the second realm would not be sufficient to produce such a change in the short run, but would encourage such a trend, at least among larger elements of Iranian public opinion, and – under realities of Arab–Israeli peaceful coexistence – it would be much more difficult for the Islamic Republic to justify to its own people its policy of being 'a bowl warmer than the soup'. Additional informationNotes on contributorsDavid Menashri David Menashri is Professor of Middle Eastern and African History, Tel Aviv University

Foreign policy · Ideology · Islam · Jewish state · Judaism · Legitimacy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Pragmatism · Sociology · State (computer science · Theology · Zionism · Islamic Studies and History · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Law · Middle East Politics and Society · Philosophy · Religious studies · Religious Studies

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