(Times of Israel) Lenny Ben-David - A large plywood cutout of Qasem Soleimani pointing toward Israel was unveiled on February 15, 2020, by Hizbullah in the southern Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras. Iranian leaders and commanders of pro-Iran Iraqi militias are frequent visitors to the border area opposite Israel. In 2010, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dedicated the "Iran Garden" there, a park glorifying Iran's support for Hizbullah. The park includes a large reproduction of the Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem although, ironically, the Dome of the Rock plays no role in the Shiite tradition. The Iran Garden also contains replicas of Hizbullah bunkers, an obstacle course for tourists, and even a paintball attraction. The writer served 25 years in senior posts in AIPAC in Washington and Jerusalem, and served as deputy chief of mission at Israel's Embassy in Washington.
2020-03-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive