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How Iran-Israel conflict has played out beyond political realm

The tension between Iran and Israel has frequently extended to the cultural and sports sphere, with the only Iranian Oscar winner and other prominent Iranians finding themselves in the spotlight over exchanges with Israelis.
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi answers questions about his film "The Past" during a news conference in Beverly Hills December 9, 2013. The film stars Berenice Bejo, Ali Mosaffa and Tahar Rahim and is Iran's official entry for the Oscars' Best Foreign Language Film. REUTERS/Fred Prouser (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT) - RTX16BJ3
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An interview given by Asghar Farhadi to an Israeli journalist has become the subject of new controversy in Iran. On March 20, the Israeli daily Haaretz published a May 2016 interview with the Oscar-winning director on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival in which he said that his "only hope" for solving the problems between Iran and Israel is the people, arguing that "politicians have too much to lose."

The exchange was published soon after hard-line media outlets in Iran criticized Farhadi for announcing the screening of his latest Oscar winner, "The Salesman," in Israeli cinemas. Kayhan daily, whose editor-in-chief is directly appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reacted to the news on March 12, writing, "Of course, this is not the first time that a film by Asghar Farhadi is screened in Israel. [His] film 'A Separation' was also welcomed by the regime occupying Jerusalem and screened in Israeli cinemas in early 2012. Unfortunately, Asghar Farhadi showed no reaction, neither in the case of [the screening of] 'A Separation' nor now when 'The Salesman' is about to go up on screens in Israel."

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