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Calls for Legitimizing Iran Weaken Moderate Forces

(Jerusalem Post) Hillel Newman - Last week Iran convened an international conference termed "World Against Violence and Extremism" (WAVE), with 40 scholars and experts from around the globe. Among high-ranking officials who participated were the foreign ministers of Syria, Iraq, and Nicaragua, as well as former Norwegian prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevick, former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari and former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin. At the conference, the same Iran that is designated as a global state sponsor of terrorism, that finances terrorist groups like Hizbullah, Hamas, and others, that tries to smuggle arms to terrorist groups in violation of Security Council resolutions (1701, 1747), and is deeply involved in regional subversive activity, preached to others about the cessation of support for terrorism and violence. It may be true that Iran and the Western world have a narrow meeting of interests in the fight against Islamic State. But there remains a vast clash of interests and ideology on a wide range of issues, from Iranian support of the Assad regime, to its support of global terrorism and deep meddling in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain and other sensitive spots. Calls for legitimizing Iran weaken the moderate forces and embolden the radical ones. The writer serves in the Strategic Division of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2014-12-15 00:00:00
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