Jewish Iran MP brands Netanyahu ‘insane vampire’
Lawmaker claims racism and anti-Semitism ‘never been witnessed’ in Islamic Republic, after PM links Purim holiday to Tehran regime
Iran’s sole Jewish parliamentarian branded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an “insane vampire” for repeatedly saying that modern Iran, like ancient Persia, is bent on annihilating the Jewish people.
“Netanyahu is an insane vampire drowned in crimes from head to toe and the recent remarks made by the racist Israeli prime minister [are] not surprising to me,” Siamak Moreh Sedgh told the Iranian parliament on Tuesday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
Sedgh further claimed that anti-Semitism and racism have “never been witnessed” in Iranian culture.
Sedgh, a 50-year-old physician who also serves as director of the Tehran Jewish Committee, has represented his community in parliament since 2012 and has been a frequent critic of Israel.
His remarks were the latest in an ongoing spat between Iranian officials and Netanyahu, who has recently made several references to Iran or ancient Persia in the context of this week’s Jewish holiday of Purim.
During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, Netanyahu said Persia had made “an attempt to destroy the Jewish people that did not succeed” some 2,500 years ago, the event commemorated on Purim.
“Today there is an attempt by Persia’s heir, Iran, to destroy the state of the Jews,” Netanyahu said. “They say this as clearly as possible and inscribe it on their ballistic missiles.”
Putin was the first to reject Netanyahu’s Purim parallel, telling him that the events described had taken place “in the fifth century BCE.”
“We now live in a different world. Let us talk about that now,” Putin said.
Then, while visiting a synagogue on Saturday, Netanyahu told young children celebrating the holiday that Iran wants to murder the Jews just as the Persians did.
https://twitter.com/JZarif/status/841005150009479168
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif then swung back at Netanyahu, accusing the prime minister of distorting history, and claiming that Iranians had “saved Jews 3 times” throughout history.
“To sell bigoted lies against a nation which has saved Jews 3 times, Netanyahu resorting to fake history & falsifying Torah. Force of habit,” he tweeted on Sunday.
In an attachment to the post, Zarif wrote, “Once again Benjamin Netanyahu not only distorts the realities of today, but also distorts the past — including Jewish scripture. It is truly regrettable that bigotry gets to the point of making allegations against an entire nation which has saved the Jews three times in its history.”
On Monday, Netanyahu blasted the Iranian regime for repeatedly calling for Israel’s annihilation while speaking of tolerance.
“Iran’s FM speaks of tolerance while the regime hangs gays, jails journalists and calls for Israel’s annihilation. Who are they kidding?” the prime minister tweeted.
https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/841397292611620868
Purim, which started Saturday night, commemorates the Biblical tale of an averted genocide of the Jews in the Persian empire some 2,500 years ago, and is a festive occasion celebrated with costumes, parades and street parties in cities around Israel.
In the biblical Purim story, retold in the Book of Esther, the Persian viceroy Haman plotted to kill all the Jews in the kingdom. King Ahasuerus initially supported the plan, but eventually his Jewish wife, Esther, convinced him that he should not allow Haman to kill the Jews. Ahasuerus had Haman and his sons killed and the Jews were given leave to kill all those who wanted to destroy them.
