Iran-Israel ties coming?

[Moledet]

Nameth Ahmadi, advisor to Iranian presidential candidate Ali Ahbar Rafsanjani, says his candidate could move to renew ties with Israel
By Orli Azoulai, Yedioth Ahronoth


TEHRAN – Could Iran be on the road to re-establishing ties with Israel?


According to at least one Iranian law professor, the answer is yes.


Prof. Nameth Ahmadi is a professor of law at the University of Tehran. He is also an advisor to the favorite to win Iran’s presidency,
Ali Ahbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. While he is under no illusions about the conservative’s power in his country, he does not rule out future diplomatic relations with Israel.


“As long as Iran remains an Islamic Republic, there is no chance (of renewing ties with Israel). But you’ve got to remember - while the government is fostering ties with the Arab world, most Persians hate the Arabs," he says.


“When Iran becomes a republic we will renew ties with Israel. In the past, relations between our countries were excellent, and I believe they will be again.”


Young majority


Ahmadi bases his belief on the fact that most Iranian young people - a majority of the population - as well as most women, no longer want to live under Islamic law.


“The mullahs will continue to control religious institutions. But there will be complete separation of church and state,” he says. “It won’t happen today or tomorrow, but it will happen eventually.”


Two jail terms


While Ahmadi’s comments are likely to anger the Iranian regime, he is unlikely to be deterred from speaking out. He was sentenced to two years in prison for denouncing the Shah in the 1970s, and following the 1979 Islamic revolution he was jailed by the late Ayatollah Khomeini for organizing anti-government rallies and activities. Today, nearly 20 years later, he is again speaking out to predict the mullah’s downfall.



“Changes in Iran will happen very slowly, but they will surely happen,” he says.

I bet this guy doesn't know much about politics, he just destroyed his candidate.

BTW, I won't be surprised if Rafsanjani will be found dead, few days ago he said that he will consider disarming Hizbullaha and now this, the guy is a dead man walking.

[Clarsachier]

Nameth Ahmadi, advisor to Iranian presidential candidate Ali Ahbar Rafsanjani, says his candidate could move to renew ties with Israel
By Orli Azoulai, Yedioth Ahronoth


TEHRAN – Could Iran be on the road to re-establishing ties with Israel?


According to at least one Iranian law professor, the answer is yes.


Prof. Nameth Ahmadi is a professor of law at the University of Tehran. He is also an advisor to the favorite to win Iran’s presidency,
Ali Ahbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. While he is under no illusions about the conservative’s power in his country, he does not rule out future diplomatic relations with Israel.


“As long as Iran remains an Islamic Republic, there is no chance (of renewing ties with Israel). But you’ve got to remember - while the government is fostering ties with the Arab world, most Persians hate the Arabs," he says.


“When Iran becomes a republic we will renew ties with Israel. In the past, relations between our countries were excellent, and I believe they will be again.”


Young majority


Ahmadi bases his belief on the fact that most Iranian young people - a majority of the population - as well as most women, no longer want to live under Islamic law.


“The mullahs will continue to control religious institutions. But there will be complete separation of church and state,” he says. “It won’t happen today or tomorrow, but it will happen eventually.”


Two jail terms


While Ahmadi’s comments are likely to anger the Iranian regime, he is unlikely to be deterred from speaking out. He was sentenced to two years in prison for denouncing the Shah in the 1970s, and following the 1979 Islamic revolution he was jailed by the late Ayatollah Khomeini for organizing anti-government rallies and activities. Today, nearly 20 years later, he is again speaking out to predict the mullah’s downfall.



“Changes in Iran will happen very slowly, but they will surely happen,” he says.

I bet this guy doesn't know much about politics, he just destroyed his candidate.

BTW, I won't be surprised if Rafsanjani will be found dead, few days ago he said that he will consider disarming Hizbullaha and now this, the guy is a dead man walking.


My understanding is that there always was a constant volume of trade between Iran/Israel, pistachios for instance, despite the political posture of both countries?

[Moledet]

Nameth Ahmadi, advisor to Iranian presidential candidate Ali Ahbar Rafsanjani, says his candidate could move to renew ties with Israel
By Orli Azoulai, Yedioth Ahronoth


TEHRAN – Could Iran be on the road to re-establishing ties with Israel?


According to at least one Iranian law professor, the answer is yes.


Prof. Nameth Ahmadi is a professor of law at the University of Tehran. He is also an advisor to the favorite to win Iran’s presidency,
Ali Ahbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. While he is under no illusions about the conservative’s power in his country, he does not rule out future diplomatic relations with Israel.


“As long as Iran remains an Islamic Republic, there is no chance (of renewing ties with Israel). But you’ve got to remember - while the government is fostering ties with the Arab world, most Persians hate the Arabs," he says.


“When Iran becomes a republic we will renew ties with Israel. In the past, relations between our countries were excellent, and I believe they will be again.”


Young majority


Ahmadi bases his belief on the fact that most Iranian young people - a majority of the population - as well as most women, no longer want to live under Islamic law.


“The mullahs will continue to control religious institutions. But there will be complete separation of church and state,” he says. “It won’t happen today or tomorrow, but it will happen eventually.”


Two jail terms


While Ahmadi’s comments are likely to anger the Iranian regime, he is unlikely to be deterred from speaking out. He was sentenced to two years in prison for denouncing the Shah in the 1970s, and following the 1979 Islamic revolution he was jailed by the late Ayatollah Khomeini for organizing anti-government rallies and activities. Today, nearly 20 years later, he is again speaking out to predict the mullah’s downfall.



“Changes in Iran will happen very slowly, but they will surely happen,” he says.

I bet this guy doesn't know much about politics, he just destroyed his candidate.

BTW, I won't be surprised if Rafsanjani will be found dead, few days ago he said that he will consider disarming Hizbullaha and now this, the guy is a dead man walking.


My understanding is that there always was a constant volume of trade between Iran/Israel, pistachios for instance, despite the political posture of both countries?
As far as I know they can't trade or come in contact with Israelis, last olympic games they lost a fight (and maybe even a medal) because the Iranian Judokah had to fight the Israeli one but he wasn't allowed to touch him, so they decided to quit.

[Clarsachier]

Nameth Ahmadi, advisor to Iranian presidential candidate Ali Ahbar Rafsanjani, says his candidate could move to renew ties with Israel
By Orli Azoulai, Yedioth Ahronoth


TEHRAN – Could Iran be on the road to re-establishing ties with Israel?


According to at least one Iranian law professor, the answer is yes.


Prof. Nameth Ahmadi is a professor of law at the University of Tehran. He is also an advisor to the favorite to win Iran’s presidency,
Ali Ahbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. While he is under no illusions about the conservative’s power in his country, he does not rule out future diplomatic relations with Israel.


“As long as Iran remains an Islamic Republic, there is no chance (of renewing ties with Israel). But you’ve got to remember - while the government is fostering ties with the Arab world, most Persians hate the Arabs," he says.


“When Iran becomes a republic we will renew ties with Israel. In the past, relations between our countries were excellent, and I believe they will be again.”


Young majority


Ahmadi bases his belief on the fact that most Iranian young people - a majority of the population - as well as most women, no longer want to live under Islamic law.


“The mullahs will continue to control religious institutions. But there will be complete separation of church and state,” he says. “It won’t happen today or tomorrow, but it will happen eventually.”


Two jail terms


While Ahmadi’s comments are likely to anger the Iranian regime, he is unlikely to be deterred from speaking out. He was sentenced to two years in prison for denouncing the Shah in the 1970s, and following the 1979 Islamic revolution he was jailed by the late Ayatollah Khomeini for organizing anti-government rallies and activities. Today, nearly 20 years later, he is again speaking out to predict the mullah’s downfall.



“Changes in Iran will happen very slowly, but they will surely happen,” he says.

I bet this guy doesn't know much about politics, he just destroyed his candidate.

BTW, I won't be surprised if Rafsanjani will be found dead, few days ago he said that he will consider disarming Hizbullaha and now this, the guy is a dead man walking.


My understanding is that there always was a constant volume of trade between Iran/Israel, pistachios for instance, despite the political posture of both countries?
As far as I know they can't trade or come in contact with Israelis, last olympic games they lost a fight (and maybe even a medal) because the Iranian Judokah had to fight the Israeli one but he wasn't allowed to touch him, so they decided to quit.


I assume that the country origin of products is required to be marked on products in Israel the same as it is here? And you don't see any Iranian products?

I read the article a long time ago and I can't find it.
Iit is my observation that just like China and Taiwan, such 'hostility' is a large part rhetoric and perpetuated as required by political agenda.

[promillo]

Maybe its only a try to avoid israeli airstrikes against iranian a-weapons facilities?
Think the mullahs are a little scared...israel is watching them closely, the USA now have bases in iraq, ready to liberate teheran and even the old europe is somehow sceptic about the iranian a-weapons program.

The time is running short for islamofascism...

[kutter]

I remember it was one of those open secrets that Isreal helped supply parts for Iran's F-4 fleet during the Iran-Iraq war(apparently based on the theory that "my enemy's enemy is my friend") so I wouldn't be surprised if Isreal didn't develop any sort of connections (however limited) afterwards.

[Clarsachier]

So far as non military trade goes, the Iranians just have to sell to an intermediary who then sells it to Israel. After all, it's the ME and accountability such as we have isn't available - right? ;)

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Oh this is a tricky relationship on the surface but it could work, I base my assumptions on the fact that know Iranians both Jewish and Muslim and they all have one commonality, the dislike of Arabs.

[alexz]

Rafsanjani is a hardliner who pretends to be a moderate or a reformer.
When the not the president he is in the supreme council which override
the president and has control over the army and the revelotunery guards.
As long as he is around there will be NO ties with Israel, even if 99.9%
of the Iranian public wants so. There are many Iranians that still
remember the worm ties between the countries before the revolution.
Too ilustrate how ****ing machavelian this Rafsanjani dude is; he is now
running against a hardcore islamist (probably hand picked by him)
too present himself to the world as a moderate.

[Frogg]

Iran's 'Democracy'
A rigged election, no reformist victory.

Monday, June 20, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT

The most astonishing aspect of Friday's presidential vote in Iran is not that the elections will go into a second round but that Tehran managed to convince so many in the West that this is a real demonstration of democracy.

All power is held by Supreme Leader Ali Khameni, his Council of Guardians and the small clique of military officers and businessmen around him. The Council disqualified more than 1,000 candidates before the election, vetting only contestants who support the regime's ideological lines. The example of outgoing "reformist" President Mohammad Khatami, who presided over eight years of economic decline and worsening repression, has proven that the President cannot change anything against the Council's will.

The one number worth parsing in Friday's election is that of voter participation. Many Iranians had called for a boycott as the only way of showing resistance. Knowing this, the mullahs seem to have taken their usual election manipulations to another level. Intimidation by the Revolutionary Guards and the fact that proof of voting is needed for certain jobs and welfare payments have always pushed up turnout. Still, voter participation has steadily declined in the past few years to barely 50%.

But this time turnout was 62.7%, exactly the level Supreme Leader Khameni had predicted. "Something is fishy here," Patrick Clawson, who follows Iran for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told us. Contradicting all reports about the mood in the country ahead of the vote, hard-line candidates received unprecedented support, while the main reformist candidate, Mustafa Moin, came in fifth. Mr. Moin also suggested the elections were rigged, but since the regime allows no neutral observers the real extent of fraud or Iranian discontent can't be known.

The runoff election will now have former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani facing hard-line Tehran Mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who surprised Western observers by finishing second. Neither man is a moderate in any Western sense. Mr. Rafsanjani stood by the late Ayatollah Khomeini from the first day of the Iranian revolution and was in power as Iran promoted international terror and rounded up political prisoners. He is also the father of Iran's nuclear program and openly mused in 2001 that the Islamic world would need only one nuclear bomb to destroy Israel.

The temptation will be strong, especially in Europe, to consider Mr. Rafsanjani to be the regime's "pragmatist" and someone who can be trusted to agree to end Iran's uranium enrichment program in return for the right "economic incentives." But it's more accurate to read these election results as the regime's attempt to tighten its control and to present a united, hard-line front as it sprints to develop the bomb under cover of the talks.

Writing in The Wall Street Journal last week, Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian Nobel Peace laureate, warned the West against offering any concessions to the regime, urging Europe and the U.S. instead to help Iran's democracy movement by highlighting Iran's human rights violations.

<snip>

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110006845

[oldsoak]

If the Iranians made such a gesture, I take it Israel would respond favourably ?
With good relations with Iran, that would p*ss some of Israels remaining enemies off and make them consider their positions. Could be real peace in your time ( may it happen ) Moledet :)