Ever since they took power in Iran in 1979, Iran’s Islamist leadership has talked about removing Israel from the map. Ayatollah Khomeini proclaimed the USA “The Great Satan”, and Israel the “Little Satan”.
Actually, it is about a hatred of the West. Against our way of life, with equality, queer rights and the freedom of all people to choose their lives.
Met with serious violence
We see it clearly in the way the Iranian leadership treats its own citizens. Homosexuals are sentenced to death. Women are second class citizens. Iran practices gender apartheid. Women who do not cover their hair sufficiently are harassed. Whipped and abused – some to death.
All opposition is brutally crushed. Demonstrations are met with serious violence. In the infamous Evin prison, political prisoners are tortured, physically and psychologically. Last year’s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Narges Mohammadi, is imprisoned here for his fight for basic human rights. So far, she has served a total of twelve years.
But the Iranian regime is not only dangerous to its own citizens. Over several decades, the ayatollah regime has built up armed armies and militia groups in countries such as Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria. And in Gaza, where Iran has given money and weapons to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
The leaders in many of the Arab countries perceive these forces as a threat, both to themselves and to the stability of their societies. Iran’s increasingly strong ties to China and Russia make it all the more threatening.
Terror in Sweden
Ever since the creation of Israel, almost the entire Middle East has stood united in its opposition to Israel. Egypt and Jordan were the exceptions that eventually accepted Israel.
Jews have not even had access to many of these countries. Over the past few years, this has changed. Until Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October and the subsequent Gaza war, there was a rapprochement between Israel and large parts of the Arab world.
It says a lot about a new situation in the Middle East. Not least – about the fear of Iran.
It is important to be aware that Iran does not only carry out terror in the Middle East. There are many examples of Iranian authorities also operating on European soil. Several terrorist attacks in Europe can be traced back to Iran. Earlier this winter, it became known that an Iranian couple was arrested in Sweden three years ago, suspected of planning the murder of Swedish Jews. On behalf of Iran.
Large Jewish population
Everything indicates that it was Iran that was behind the political assassination of publisher William Nygaard, in Dagaliveien in Oslo in 1993. Nygaard barely survived the shots that were intended to kill him. The Norwegian authorities were never able to solve the attempted murder. The case has now been dropped.
Iran and Israel have not always been enemies. On the contrary. Iran recognized Israel as early as 1950, under the brutal and authoritarian Shah. Iran had a large Jewish population at the time, the largest in the Middle East, second only to Israel. Iran still has the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside of Israel, although there are far fewer than before.
Could collaborate on a lot
Israel and Iran have much in common, culturally and socially. Both have a well-educated population. In both countries, national self-esteem is strong. With a different regime than the ayatollahs in Iran, it is possible to imagine that Iran and Israel could cooperate on a lot.
The images of jubilant Iranians in the streets of Tehran after the attack on Israel are not comprehensive. People don’t want war. Many Iranians are more angry with their own leaders than with Israel. The regime is insecure – and the leaders know it.
The ayatollahs are fighting to keep power. While many Israelis find themselves fighting for their country’s existence. The rest of us must remember that Iran threatens far more than Israel. Far beyond the Middle East. They threaten us all.
