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Netanyahu unimpressed by Iranian greetings for Jewish New Year

PM says in statement Iranian regime 'will be judged only by its actions and not by greetings'

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 Rohani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, wishing Jews a good Rosh Hashana - the Jewish New Year, which was celebrated this week - made headlines in Israel.

 

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They were a change in tone from Rohani'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 program.

 

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

 

Rohani'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.

 

 

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פרסום ראשון: 09.07.13, 21:06
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