Zarif gives Netanyahu lesson in Jewish scripture
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments on ancient Persia have angered Iranian officials.
Iranian officials harshly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his accusations against Iran over a biblical story from 2,500 years ago.
During an open session of parliament March 12, Speaker Ali Larijani said, “It is necessary to discuss two points about the leader of the Zionist regime [Israel]. First, he has distorted the history of pre-Islamic Iran, and he has reversed the events.” Larijani continued, “Apparently, he knows neither history nor has he read the Torah. Of course more cannot be expected from a nefarious Zionist to spread lies like this.”
In this vein, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted March 12, “To sell bigoted lies against a nation which has saved Jews 3 times, Netanyahu resorting to fake history & falsifying Torah. Force of habit.” Zarif’s tweet was accompanied by a screenshot of text that cites the Persian Kings Xerxes I and Cyrus the Great, who stopped a plot to kill Jews and freed Jews from Babylon respectively, and also World War II, in which Iran took in Jews fleeing Europe.
