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Iran Fakes Democracy
(Times of Israel) Avi Davidi and Hamidreza Zarifinia - Iran is keen on creating the impression that its presidential elections on May 19 will be the culmination of a democratic process, but it's all fake news. The Guardian Council reviewed hundreds of applications and approved just a few candidates to run for president. Council members are selected by supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The ostensibly reformist President Hassan Rouhani has doubled the Revolutionary Guard Corps budget over the last three years, while Tehran has not changed its rejection of Israel's existence under his tenure. Iran's aggressive rhetoric, support for terror groups sworn to Israel's destruction, and rallies held to demonize and threaten the "Zionist entity" have continued uninterrupted since the "extremist" Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was succeeded by the "moderate" Rouhani. Under Rouhani, Iran has also seen a spike in executions by the regime.