Israel in the Iranian Media
(July to Early August 2009)
Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center  (August 6, 2009)

 Overview 1.
In July and early August Israel maintained its prominent place on the Iranian political agenda despite the continuing internal struggle following the June elections and the prolonged popular protests. The Iranian regime and its media linked Israel to two major internal and external issues: i. Internally , Iran claimed to have “exposed” Israeli involvement in a “plot” to foster a “velvet revolution.” Israel was also mentioned in the affair of the nomination of Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei as vice president, which caused severe embarrassment for Ahmadinejad after the election. (A year ago Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei called for “friendship with the Israeli people”). Mashaei was forced to resign after the Ayatollah Khamenei intervened. ii. Externally , the statements made by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about extending an American “defense umbrella” over the Middle Eastern countries led to Iran 's paying a great deal of attention to its strategic position in the Middle East vis-à-vis the United States . Israel was mentioned by senior figures in the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian army, who threatened to attack all of Israel with missiles, including its nuclear installations, if Israel attacked Iran .
2. The various continuing protests against Ahmadinejad's regime since the elections prompted him to focus attention on the threats facing the Islamic republic, among them the so-called “conspiracy” of the reformists with foreign elements, among them Israel (which featured prominently when their trials began). High-ranking officers of the Iranian Army and the Revolutionary Guards emphasized the seriousness of the threat of a “cultural attack” and the intentions to generate a velvet revolution in Iran , alongside the military threat facing Iran from Israel and the United States . Both countries, according to Iranian declarations, “have been frustrated by Iran 's ascendant star and influence in the region,” and have been repeatedly accused of trying to destabilize the Islamic regime.
3. As part of the emerging Iranian anti-American, anti-Israeli doctrine of deterrence, including its nuclear aspects, and in an attempt to spread an internal and external message of strength , the commanders of the Revolutionary Guards and the army repeatedly threaten a “devastating” response should Iran be attacked by Israel . That apparently comes in the wake of repeated reports in the media about Israel's military activity at sea and in the air, which was interpreted as a threat to Iran (such as the passage of missile boats through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea, joint American and Israeli military exercises and the American testing of the Israeli Arrow missile). Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Ali Jafari said that Iran had no lack of ground-to-ground missiles which could hit all of Israel's territory, including its nuclear facilities, and “even if Israel managed to hit some of our missiles, it would not be able to defend itself against a massive missile attack .” It was also hinted that Iran had other options and that previous experience had taught Israel what Iran 's capabilities were [a hint at the option of terrorism].
4. The nuclear issue was prominent in Iranian discourse following statements made by American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about a regional “defense umbrella.” Her remarks led to Iran 's stating that the umbrella should protect the Middle East from Israeli nuclear weapons (Spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry). Iran also claimed that such a statement meant that the United States accepted a nuclear Iran and that its threatening behavior was forcing Iran to turn its civilian nuclear program into a military one (From the conservative Iranian daily newspaper Kayhan , which expresses the opinions of the regime).
5. Iran's support for the Palestinian terrorist organizations and Hezbollah was made plain by Ali Akbar Velayati 1 in an interview on Al-Jazeera TV, where he reiterated the Ayatollah Khamenei's commitment to support Hezbollah and the Palestinian “resistance” [i.e., terrorist] organizations. Furthermore, on the practical level, Iranian television in English reported that the Iranian Shaheed Foundation gave money to the families of dead terrorists in the Gaza Strip through the Al-Ansar “charitable society” in the Gaza Strip (which is known to have ties to Hezbollah). In addition, since the election, the Iranian president has often said that during his current term of office he intends to be more active in the international arena to “put an end to the hooliganism and control of a number of powers over the regional agenda” and to put Iran in the forefront of the struggle against them. Kayhan was quick to state that “ Iran stands at the pinnacle of the Middle East” and that it “ will cleanse the Middle East of the remnants of Western influence .” It also reported that Israel and the United States ' understanding of Iran 's policy was what motivated them to intervene in the elections. Continuing accusations that Israel (along with the United States ) encourages protest in Iran 2
6. During the past month Israel took a prominent place in many aspects of Iran 's internal discourse. The conservative camp continued its attempts to externalize the country's internal problems and to claim Israel 's (and other foreign countries') involvement in organizing the protest demonstrations and an attempt to generate a velvet revolution. On the other hand, reform elements used Israel to taunt Ahmadinejad's regime, comparing the way it dealt with the protest movement to the way Israel dealt with the Palestinians.
7. Following Rafsanjani's July 17 Friday sermon, which was a milestone in the activity of Iran 's protest movement, Kayhan criticized what it called his “divisive sermon.” It noted that “the true worshippers simply ignored the calls for support for Rafsanjani during the sermon and showed the lawbreakers [the Iranian regime's nickname for the protest movement] that they would defend the revolution, and did so by shouting ‘ Death to Israel ' and ‘ Death to the United States .'” The paper added that the shouts showed the world who was really behind the “plots” [of the protest movement]. 3
8. Ali Larijani, chairman of the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) , also claimed that Israel and the United States were intervening in Iran 's internal affairs. He said that “Iran's regional standing in the region was stabilized in recent years after experiences, ups and downs as well as the ruling system's resistance against the US and Zionism [Israel].” He noted that the positive results of Iran's resistance could be witnessed not only in the country's nuclear dossier, but also in issues pertaining to such other countries as Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine, and praised Iran's resistance to Bush's preemptive doctrine. Underlining that the June 12 presidential election was an indication of Iran 's democratic and religious face, Larijani said, “It was not so strange to see that enemies, particularly the United States and Israel , concentrate their efforts on disturbing Iran 's status.” 4
9. Accusations against Israeli involvement in the attempt to generate a velvet revolution were presented at the trial of the members of the reform movement which began on August 1 in the revolutionary court in Tehran . One of the accusations against the reformist camp was that for a long time it had planned a velvet revolution in Iran through contacts with external factors (especially research institutions) and elements tied to Israel . The Iranian deputy prosecutor claimed that one of the detainees had visited Israel and met with the heads of MEMRI, “a body linked to the war against anti-Zionism,” headed by a former Israeli intelligence officer. 5
10. Another mention of Israel in internal Iranian affairs was in a letter sent by Mehdi Karroubi, former chairman of the Majlis, to the (dismissed) minister of intelligence , one of the most daring moves made by the heads of the reform camp against the violence of the regime's security forces. Karroubi wrote that “what is happening in Iran today, especially to women, is very saddening...Many [people] witnessed women being hit with clubs and thrown into the gutters... It was even more saddening than the crimes of the Zionists against the Palestinians , because according to what can be learned from the media, the Zionists are careful in their treatment of women, fearing how public opinion outside the country might react. Unfortunately, the Iranian security forces have no problem hitting women in public, as if they were Allah's representatives on earth and without fear of how world opinion might view them” [ITIC emphasis]. 6 The leading reformist websites also compared the conduct of the Iranian regime to that of Israel in dealing with the Palestinians.
11. Israel was linked to one of Ahmadinejad's worst failures after the elections. The appointment of Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaie as first vice president met with exceptional protest from every shade of the political spectrum, but nevertheless Ahmadinejad only backed down when the Ayatollah Khamenei personally ordered that he be dismissed. The fierce resistance to his appointment was, to a great extent, the result of a statement he made a year ago to the effect that “ Iran is a friend to all the nations of the world, even to the people of Israel .” Source: Left ISNA; right, roozonline.com
12. Mashaie's statement, which initially caused a storm,7 resurfaced when he was appointed first vice president. He explained to no avail that he did not recognize the existence of the State of Israel and that his statement related only to the residents of the original “ Palestine ” and not to the “Zionists.” Various elements, including those close to Ahmadinejad, found it hard to understand his adherence to Mashaie's appointment. Kayhan deplored his continued refusal to dismiss Mashaie, calling him a tool of those who wanted a velvet revolution in Iran (i.e., Britain , the United States and Israel ). Kayhan also issued a front-page order from Khamenei to Ahmadinejad to dismiss Mashaie. 8 The headline in the Iranian daily Kayhan. The heads of the Revolutionary Guards and the army threaten to respond “devastatingly” if Israel attacks Iran
13. During the past month the heads of the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian army have made prominent threats about Iran's “devastating” response to any Israeli attack. In our assessment, the threats were made in view of a series of external and internal reasons. Among the external reasons were Israel's military activities at sea and in the air, which were perceived as anti-Iranian (for example, the passage of Israeli Navy ships through the Suez Canal, joint Israeli-American training exercises and the American testing of the Israeli Arrow missile). In addition, American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton referred to an American “defensive umbrella” for the Middle East (See below) and Israel's high-level contacts with the United States in formulating policy regarding Iran. Internally, the heads of the regime and the army felt the need to make excuses for the harsh treatment of the protest movement and to explain that the regime was in effect taking steps to ward off external threats.
14. Muhammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Revolutionary Guards, tried to minimize the importance of what he called“ Israel 's provocative political maneuvers.” He said that “the enemy is not expected to take any military action against Iran because it understands the grave implications of such a stupid action... realizing its threats is difficult for them since they know what Iran is capable of and they have experience in Iran's response to threats against it ...Iran's responses are the best deterrent...Iran is not responsible for Israel's stupidity.” He did not explain what he meant by the “experience” Israel had acquired, but it can be inferred that he was referring to Iran's ability to use Hezbollah against Israel both abroad (such as the two terrorist attacks in Argentina) and at home with massive rocket fire targeting the Israel civilian population (such as the second Lebanon war). Source: ISNA
15. Muhammad Ali Jafari also spoke of the American testing of the Israeli missile which, according to newspaper reports, had failed, saying that “in the case of a military action against Iran , all Israeli territory will be within range of our missiles . No limitations have been placed on the Revolutionary Guards regarding the manufacture of ground-to-ground missiles with the range necessary to strike Israel...The counterstrike will be severe.” As to Israel 's capabilities to intercept Iranian missiles, he said that “ Israel might manage to hit some of our missiles, but it will not be able to defend itself against a massive missile attack .” He hinted that Iran could strike Israel 's nuclear facilities, saying that if Iran is attacked it will definitely base itself on the significant progress it has made during the past years in the precision of its missiles.
16. Iran 's Fars News Agency said that the failure of the Arrow missile tests was a severe blow to Israel 's ability to defend itself against an Iranian missile attack.9 The reform daily Etemad quoted Jafari and noted that his direct remarks about the threats facing Iran were unusual.10 In our assessment, apparently the post-election events and Iran 's anxieties were behind his remarks and he felt he had to expose the external threats facing Iran .
17. A similar threat was voiced by Hossein Salami, commander of the Revolutionary Guards' air force . He said that the air force's center of gravity was its ability to fire ground-to-ground missiles . The missiles were the Revolutionary Guards' strategic deterrent and could strike any source that threatened Iran . He said that all the ground-to-ground missiles, both ballistic and cruise missiles, were manufactured in Iran and all the components and systems had been built by Iran 's defense ministry. He claimed that Iran's missile-producing capabilities had advanced so far that the Revolutionary Guards' current problem was the lack of storage space for all the missiles it had manufactured , adding that Iran had begun mass production of Shahin ground-to-air missiles. He said Iran had successfully tested the new generation of Sajil ground-to-ground missiles (a two-stage missile with two engines which use both solid and liquid fuel.11 Shahin anti-aircraft missile, the Iranian version of the American Hawk missile (Source: ISNA). 18. Syed Mohammed Hijazi , lieutenant commander of the Revolutionary Guards, said that if Israel made a mistake [and attacked Iran ] Iran 's response would be devastating . He said Israel was too weak “for such an adventure.”
12 Kioumars Heidari, the lieutenant commander of the Iranian Army ground forces, said that the Iranian army could respond and deal with any threat in the best possible manner and that he did not expect an Israeli attack on Iran . He added that “the regime [Israel] should know that in case it embarks on even a small aggression against our country, then nowhere would be safe for that regime and such an action [an attack on Iran] would put an end to the dirty life of the regime occupying Jerusalem.”
13 Syed Mohammed Hijazi (Source: Fars News Agency). Introducing Israel into Iranian responses to remarks made by the American secretary of state 19. A central issue covered extensively by the Iranian media was the statement made by the American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about extending an American defense umbrella over the Middle East as part of dealing with a nuclear Iran .
14 It led to a wealth of suppositions and interpretations about the strengthening of Iran 's position in the region and the weakening of the United States , and about the acceptance of a nuclear Iran and the ramifications for Israel . Some of the reactions to Clinton 's statement which introduced Israel were the following: i. “ The United States and Israel are pushing Iran into turning its civilian nuclear program into a military one .” An editorial in Kayhan entitled “The project for Iran 's destruction” examined recent developments in Israeli-American relations and drew the conclusion that both countries were working to promote a program to destroy Iran . It claimed that along with a group which included “former senior Iranian figures,” the United States was seeking to isolate Iran , and warned that any step taken to the detriment of Iranian national security would force Iran to react by turning its civilian nuclear program to a military one.
15 ii. “ The United States will have to accept a nuclear Iran and to recognize its regional status, and will have to bow its head before a nuclear Iran , change its arrogant, dictatorial tone and open its eyes to the new situation .” Another editorial in Kayhan , entitled “An umbrella to jump [out of a plane] with,” analyzed the “defensive umbrella” referred to by the American secretary of state. It said that sooner or later the United States would have to accept the fact that Iran was a nuclear state, which was undesirable as far as the United States and the “Zionist regime” were concerned.
16 Therefore, according to the editorial, the United States was using scare tactics to preserve its own status and that of Israel in the Middle East . Another objective of the “defensive umbrella,” it stated, was to prepare the ground for further rapprochement between the Arab states and Israel . If that happened, Washington would have cunningly succeeded in reducing their status in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The article ended by saying that if the United States did not understand Iran 's role as an influential regional power, “it cannot achieve anything in the Middle East .
17 . “ The Zionists are behind America 's anti-Iranian policies .” According to an editorial in Jomhouri Eslami entitled “Obama's new temptations,” Barack Obama and his administration have gradually begun to feel that the situation is ripening and that the “mask of change” is about to be removed from America. The article is of the opinion that despite the threatening tone taken by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, it was a clear admission of the complete failure of America 's “aggressive policy” toward Iran during the past decade, for which the Zionists were responsible . According to the editorial, apparently Washington has indirectly accepted its failure, and is now only using threatening language to encourage the Zionists . According to Jomhouri Eslami , “the nuclearization of America 's retarded allies in the region”...“whose regimes are unstable,” would be completely stupid.
18  “ Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks were unnecessary .” According to Iranian defense minister Hassan Qashqavi, the “defensive umbrella” the United States is planning to extend is necessary to defend the region from Israel 's arsenal of nuclear weapons .
19 On July 20 a spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry said, regarding the package Iran was putting together for nuclear negotiations, that “in any case the nuclear issue cannot be discussed unless nuclear disarmament is discussed, and disarming the Middle East cannot be discussed without referring to the 200 nuclear warheads in Israel 's possession.”
20 Ali Akbar Velayati , Khamenei's advisor on international affairs, called Secretary of State Clinton's remark “unnecessary,” claiming that Iran 's nuclear program was supervised by the International Agency for Atomic Energy and that Iran had no intention of using nuclear technology for military purposes (Al-Jazeera TV, July 25, 2009). Message to Israel and the United States : Iran will pursue an active, assertive foreign policy in the Middle East 20. Another issue which has become more pressing is Ahmadinejad's foreign policy plans for his second term. On a number of occasions since he was elected he has said that he intends to pursue an active, assertive foreign policy . In the ceremony at which he was endorsed by the Ayatollah Khamenei on August 3, he said that his second term would be characterized by a “proactive presence in the international arena,” which he called “a national duty.” He said that “it is not possible to build Iran without a strong presence in the international arena,” and that “the era when a number of bullying powers dictated their rules and attitudes to the [other] nations is over now.”
21 . An editorial in Kayhan printed the day after the ceremony was devoted to the policy Ahmadinejad was expected to pursue and perhaps even exposed a bit of what Iran is planning for the region. The editorial was entitled “ The Middle East after the Iranian elections ” and said that the next four or five years would teach the United States, Israel and Europe to understand fully that Iran would completely cleanse the Middle East of the remnants of Western control and influence . That was the result of their academic and intelligence interpretations and evaluations, which had warned them of the great danger [for them] inherent in the takeover by the forces which supported Iran of the Middle East and beyond.
22. Ali Akbar Velayati was interviewed by Al-Jazeera TV on July 25, and again noted the commitment of the Ayatollah Khamenei to Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorist organizations . He said that “we fully supported Hezbollah and took responsibility for Hamas during the [Israeli] attack [Operation Cast Lead] on the Gaza Strip. I can tell you with complete sincerity that Iran fully and comprehensively supported Hezbollah, and Hezbollah feels indebted to the [Iranian] leadership . Of course, the leadership of Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah is extraordinary. He always said that without Iranian support they would not have won [the second Lebanon war]. Some of the resistance of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is [possible] thanks to Iranian aid and support . The resistance in Bosnia was also supported by Iran and all that happened under the leadership of the Ayatollah Khamenei. Iran under the supreme leader, with his determined stance, stands shoulder to shoulder with all those factions of the resistance which support the Palestinians.”
23. On the ground, Iran continues to support the Palestinian terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. On July 19 Iranian television in English (Press TV) reported that the Iranian Shaheed Foundation was working with the Palestinian institution Al-Ansar 22 to rebuild the Gaza Strip and had allotted $8,000 to [each of] the families of Palestinians who had been killed or had lost their houses and property.23 The head of the charity and donation fund in Iran asked Arab and Muslim countries and organizations (such as the Organisation of the Islamic Congress and the Arab League) to employ practical measures to rebuild the “holy places in Palestine.” Iran claimed that came in the wake of an appeal from Taleb Abu Shaar, the minister of religion and endowments [in the Hamas de-facto administration], for aid in reconstructing the Old City in Jerusalem , mosques and religious sites. The statement said that “the Zionist regime has destroyed mosques and religious centers since the occupation of the land in a bid to eliminate Islamic and religious monuments and alienate the Palestinian youth with their religion and traditions.” 24 Iran's propaganda war against Israel
24. The Iranian media wage an ongoing, routine media attack against Israel and the Zionist movement, consisting of a variety of false accusations. Israel is accused, for example, of being behind the fight against Islam, as having tried to assassinate the president of Iran and as having collaborated with the CIA to spread Christianity among the Kurds in northern Iraq .
25. After the murder of an Egyptian woman in an German court, Iran , which systematically violates human rights, initiated a campaign to protest human rights violations in Germany . Iran claimed that European countries, inspired by Zionism, encouraged Islamophobia. A demonstration instigated by an organization calling itself “Muslim Women” was held in front of the German embassy in Tehran . The organization said in a statement that “the wave of the struggle against Islam has its roots in Zionist activity and is growing larger every day. If we do not prevent it, it is reasonable to assume that catastrophes of this kind will repeat themselves many times.” 25 The demonstrators also waved traditional “Death to Israel” signs. Source: Fars News Agency , Iran
26. Hojatoleslam Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ejei , former Iranian Minister of Intelligence and Security, dismissed from his post, accused Israel of plotting to assassinate Ahmadinejad. He said that at conferences in Sharm el-Sheikh and Paris , the Zionist regime had met with representatives of the Mujahedeen Khalq (one of the Iranian organizations which oppose the regime) and planned to assassinate Ahmadinejad. He said that the Mujahedeen Khalq had asked in return that its name be taken off the blacklist of terrorist organizations. The Iranian defense minister claimed that Israel had also asked Sunni Jundallah, an organization active against the Iranian security forces in the southeast on the border, for help against Iran . Minister of Intelligence and Security Hojatoleslam Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ejei (Press TV)
27. Kayhan claimed that the Israeli Mossad used the services of the Iraqi munafikin (literally “hypocrites,” a disparaging term for the Mujahedeen Khalq) to secretly listen to conversations and spy for branches of the “Zionist regime's” intelligence in Iraq . It also claimed that the Mossad was supposed to increase the number of its operatives within the Mujahedeen Khalq.  A correspondent for the Fars News Agency reported that in the Kurdish district the Mossad and the CIA were trying to spread Christianity in northern Iraq . He reported from Iraqi Kurdistan that to that end both organizations had allocated large sums of money. 28 The Mossad ramps up its activities in Iraq ( Fars News Agency)
28. Other reports from Iran's anti-Israeli anti-Jewish propaganda war: i. Iran expressed satisfaction with the exposure of corruption in New Jersey : On July 26, 2009, Jomhouri Eslami expressed satisfaction with the exposure of the involvement of many Jews in a money-laundering affair. It noted that the incident correctly reflected “the role of the Zionists in the United States,” and assessed that the “powerful Zionist lobby would work to secure their release,” expressing hope that the incident would damage Israeli-American relations. ii. A pro-Palestinian propaganda movie : The Iranian movie director Mohammed Hussein Latifi is going to make a pro-Palestinian movie about a Palestinian girl killed before her dreams are fulfilled. The movie, which will be filmed in Lebanon, is based on the story of a 13-year old Palestinian girl killed in a confrontation [with Israel] before she could meet the soccer player she admired (Ronaldo, who plays for Brazil). According to the director, Ronaldo has already expressed his willingness to participate in the film.
29 Iranian reactions to the Israeli foreign minister's visit to Latin America 28. The visit paid by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to Latin America was closely covered by the Iranian media, which it regarded as a move to contain what it called “ Iran 's growing influence in Latin America .”
30 . The Iranian website Tabnak 31 quoted an article in the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz about the visit, writing that the Israeli foreign minister had “craftily chosen the date for his trip, which coincided with the event at the AMIA building in Argentina [a car bomb attack carried out by Hezbollah and directed by Iran, which blew up the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires in 1994, killing 85 and wounding hundreds]. He announced that the purpose of his trip was to fight the influence and infiltration of Iran into Latin America .” According to Tabnak, “the Zionist foreign minister will try to exploit the claim of Iran 's involvement in the explosion and prevent the continuation of good relations between Iran and the Latin America countries” and Iran 's foothold in the area. 
31. The Iranian website Asr e-Iran reported that Avigdor Lieberman was visiting Argentina as part of a ten-day trip to Latin America. It reported that he had met with local senior figures and asked them to keep their eyes open and to pay more attention to Iranian diplomatic activity in Latin America . He also asked Argentina to carefully examine the file on the explosion at the AMIA building and to reveal the involvement of Iran and Hezbollah. 
32. IRNA, Iran 's official news agency, claimed that the Israeli defense minister had failed to recruit the Latin American countries to “ Israel 's interests.” It said that during his visit to Brazil he called for Iran to be stopped before it became a nuclear power. IRNA claimed that Israel had initiated a broad diplomatic effort to get other countries to help it with its interests following the failure of its repeated threats to attack Iran. IRNA claimed that Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, was the first to say no to Lieberman's suggestion that Iran be stopped.