The pampered prince, Reza Pahlavi, announced on Sunday that he would pay a public visit to Israel for the first time to deliver what he called a “message of friendship” and “renew ancient ties between Iran and Israel,” according to a statement by Pahlavi, who has never condemned the heinous crimes his father and grandfather committed against the Iranian people.
Unlike what Pahlavi said, the relationship between Iran and Israel does not date back to ancient times when neither the Pahlavi dynasty nor the Zionist regime did exist. Instead, it dates back to the dark days of the SAVAK atrocities of the 1960s-70s, when SAVAK henchmen, trained by Israel for the newest ways of torture, committed grisly crimes against dissidents and anyone who dared utter the slightest political criticism.
Pahlavi’s trip to Israel comes at a time when both sides are feeling isolated due to Iran’s success in putting an end to the unrest and patching up diplomatic relations with its immediate neighbors.
Iran grappled with a months-long wave of unrest that started in September 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini. But the unrest faded away, leaving Pahlavi and his clique of dreamers in a bind. Pahlavi and his supporters propagated numerous calls for protests but the Iranian people were smart enough to avoid falling for the fantasies of Pahlavi, who is anachronistically trying to bamboozle the Iranian people into eating their coagulated vomit.
Facing the people's rejection, Pahlavi turned to the cantankerous Iranian opposition in the false hope of keeping the flame of unrest burning. But mixing frying oil and water is easier than, for instance, getting the MKO terrorists to hop on the Pahlavi bus. Thus Pahlavi turned to Israel.
But Israel is no rescuer. It has been facing over the last months the double whammy of protests at home and increasing isolation abroad. The recent agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia delivered a major blow to Israel’s plan for a regional coalition against Tehran. And it also deprived Pahlavi and his minions of possible Saudi windfalls.
Some pundits believe that the Iran-Saudi deal could have a negative impact on the Iranian opposition which has long been accused of being on the Saudi payroll. In this regard, they refer to the possible cutoff of Saudi funds for the Iran International news channel. There are speculations that the station may have been handed to Israel. The interview Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave to Iran International recently, the argument goes, amounted to an announcement of an Israeli takeover of the channel.
And with the Pahlavi visit, Israel's acquisition appears to include the entire opposition. This gives substance to Iranian statements that the unrest was first and foremost a foreign work.
In Israel, Pahlavi will meet with Israeli Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel, another indication that the trip is a working visit.
By: Sadegh Fereydounabadi
First published in Tehran Times
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