Reuter : Netanyahu unimpressed by Iranian greetings for Jewish New Year

[shaikh]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday dismissed the significance of reports that the new Iranian president and his foreign minister had both issued greetings to mark the Jewish New Year.


Twitter messages that appeared to have been issued by newly-elected Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, wishing Jews a good Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year, which was celebrated this week - made headlines in Israel.


They were a change in tone from Rouhani's predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who left office last month and regularly use to rile Israel by calling for the destruction of the "Zionist entity".


Netanyahu said in a statement he was "not impressed", and that the Iranian regime "will be judged only by its actions and not by greetings" whose purpose, he said, was to deflect attention from its nuclear programme.


He called on the international community to strengthen sanctions on Iran meant to curb its nuclear activities.


Relations between the two countries have been dire for decades. Israel says all its options are on the table in preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons that could one day jeopardize the survival of the Jewish state.


Iran denies it wants nuclear weapons and says its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.


Rouhani's election in June has encouraged speculation that Tehran may be taking a more conciliatory approach to foreign affairs, though the president's power is heavily circumscribed by the clerical hierarchy.


(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; editing by Andrew Roche)

 

[hans]

Nothing to do with Shia Sunni .. Phada.

But iran needs to cool down... ans stop dead on its track.

If Iran was a normal country, With right leaders... they be no SSP or LJ in Pakistan. NO shia killings.

 

[Malik Azam]

Iran gets a slap on its face by Netanyahu's reply to its greeting on Jews New year.(clap)

 

[shaikh]

The Iranian revolution or rather mullah takeover in 1979 is in the doldrums . Iranian rhetoric and western rhetoric against Iran was also dramas after 1997 , hidden understandings enabled it to expand the Persian empire (defacto) to Iraq, Afghanistan portions and Syria and now knocking on the doors of turkey and Saudi allies . The vicious conduct of minority Alawites in Syria and friendliness of Morsi and Hamas to Iran raised the stakes and made turkey and Saudis nervous and incomes the west. Israel would much prefer destruction of Syria in civil war than side with Iran. The mullahs of Iran know that even a minor but sustained bombardment on Syria will encourage depressed Sunnis of Iraq and Syria to rise and roll back Iranian influence to its own borders or may be some Areas of Iraq . Mullahs of Iran know that as they say "Shikast Ka Koi Kanara Nai hota". might find hard to control restive Tehran itself in that event . iran via sunni clients in Pakistan and elsewhere is trying its best to avert the bombardment , lets see . Best for it is Depose Assad first to cool down things . Putin is not an swer , his threats might work for West but Turkey and Saudia are not going to give up Syria and while bombardment may not bring Assad immediately , a real land war with Turkey is going to be momentous and epoch changing