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40 Years of Iranian Threats Against Israel and Few Pay Attention
(The Hill) Daniel S. Mariaschin - Iran has incessantly called for the elimination of Israel throughout the 40 years of its revolution. I was involved in efforts in 1979 and 1980 to save the lives of Iranian Jewish leaders Habib Elghanian and Albert Danielpour, both of whom were summarily executed because of contact with Israel and Israelis. Among the charges against Elghanian was "friendship with the enemies of God"; against Danielpour it was working to form "the Zionist government in Israel." The level of vitriol has remained essentially the same over these four decades, spouted by religious and military leaders at the highest level. For years the Iranian regime has sponsored a cartoon contest focused on Holocaust denial. This past June, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Israel a "cancerous tumor," which "must be eradicated," a favorite theme he has used for years. Iran always makes sure to mark the sides of the missiles it tests with the threat "Israel Must Be Wiped Out." Today, there are numerous border disputes in the world between neighbors, but Israel is the only country to be incessantly threatened with annihilation. The writer is CEO of B'nai B'rith International and directs its International Center for Human Rights and Public Policy.