(Israel Hayom) Joseph I. Lieberman and Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata - On Friday, July 1, thousands of Iranians will gather in the streets for Quds Day, whose main purpose is to call for "Death to Israel." Israeli, and probably American, flags will be burned. There is no more revealing time for the world to understand the true nature of the Iranian regime than on Quds Day. While some want us to see peace, moderation, and even friendship with Iran, the objective truth continues to be Iranian extremism, hostility, and violence. The U.S. State Department recently declared again that Iran remains the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. Iran also commits gross human rights violations against its own people. Fortunately, nearly one year after the nuclear agreement was signed, there remains considerable wariness and aversion from countries, businesses and financial institutions to broker deals with Tehran because they are not blind to the authoritarian and extremist essence of the ayatollah and his regime. They cannot ignore his bellicose statements, and his regime's vociferous support for such appalling activities as the Holocaust cartoon contest. Younger Iranians may dream of reform, but the power remains in the hands of an extremist clerical establishment with hegemonic ambitions in the Middle East. Quds Day began in 1979. It is clear 37 years later that Iran has not changed. The global community would be wise to keep its distance from this radical government until such time that it does truly change. Joseph I. Lieberman is a former U.S. senator and serves as chairman of United Against Nuclear Iran. Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata, a former foreign minister of Italy, is a member of the group's advisory board.
2016-07-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive