White House displeased with Peres greeting to Persians

Apparently US President Barack Hussein Obama believes that he's the only one who can send a Nowruz greeting. The White House is reported displeased that Israeli President Shimon Peres, in a holiday message to the people of Iran, urged them to repudiate the country's radical Islamic leadership.

"On the eve of the new year, I appeal to the noble Iranian people on behalf of the ancient Jewish people and urge them to reclaim their worthy place among the nations of the enlightened world," Peres said in a message broadcast on Israel's Persian language service. "Unfortunately, these days, the relations between our countries are at a low that stems from the impulses leading the current leaders of your country to act against the State of Israel and its people in any way possible."

According to a report on YNet, Yediot Achronot's news website, Peres criticized the Iranian leadership for preferring nuclear bombs over butter. "Children can't be fed enriched uranium for breakfast, they need a real breakfast, and you can't invest the money in enriched uranium while telling the kids to stay a little hungry and a little ignorant," Peres said, adding: "I see the suffering of the children and I ask myself, why? This is a country that is so rich with such a rich culture, why do they let a few religious fanatics take the worst path in the eyes of God and in the eyes of man?"
"With great pleasure, I offer you this blessing on your holiday, a day of renewal that brings with it happiness and hope of a new day, of better days and a blessed new year." "Unfortunately, the relations between our two countries have hit a low point, stemming from ideas that compel your leaders to act in every possible way against the state of Israel and its people. But I am convinced that the day is not far off when our two nations will restore good neighborly relations and cooperation in thriving in every way," he went on to say. The message, part of which was recorded in Farsi, was broadcast on Israel Radio's Farsi channel.

"Things in Iran are tough," said the president at the start of the address that preceded the blessing. "There is great unemployment, corruption, a lot of drugs and a general discontent? You can't feed your children enriched uranium, they need a real breakfast. It cannot be that the money is invested in enriched uranium and the children are told to remain a little hungry, a little ignorant."

"[I suggest] you don't listen to [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, it is impossible to preserve a whole nation on incitement and hatred, the people will become tired of it," the president continued.

"I see the suffering of the children and ask myself -- why? [Iran] is such a rich country with such a rich culture, why do they allow a handful of religious fanatics take the worst possible path, both in the eyes of god and in the eyes of man?" Peres asked.

"I think that the Iranian people will topple these leaders," Peres went on to say, "these leaders who don't serve the people -- in the end the people will realize that."

The president also addressed Ahmadinejad's questioning of the Holocaust, saying "since when is he an expert on the Holocaust of the Jews? Was he in Auschwitz? What does he know? Every day he speaks and speaks.... They are destroying their people, but they won't destroy us so fast. We've heard, over the 4,000 years of our existence, many speeches, many anti-Semites, many people who wanted to destroy us - we survived and they didn't."

"At the start of the new year," he concluded his blessing, "I urge you, the noble Iranian people, on behalf of the ancient Jewish people, to reclaim your worthy place among the nations of the enlightened world, while contributing a worthy cultural contribution."

The Peres message stands in sharp contrast to the apologetic tone that Obama took in his message. Peres also refrained from closing his remarks with a holiday greeting in Farsi, as Obama did.
The Iranian leadership, however, was evidently not so impressed. "We will watch and we will judge (the new U.S. administration) ... You change, our behavior will change," said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme ruler in the northeastern city of Mashhad, two days after US president Barack Obama offered his latest pathetic gesture of appeasement. Khamenei said the United States was "hated in the world" and should stop interfering in other countries' affairs. "The US accuses Tehran of supporting terrorism," he said. "Its charge that Iran is seeking nuclear seapons is a sign of US hostility." "Have you released Iranian assets?" Ali Khameini asked. "Have you lifted oppressive sanctions? Have you given up your unconditional support for the Zionist entity?"

White House and US State Department spokesmen indicated that Obama's Nowruz message to the Iranian people was just a start. There are "many more [gestures]" to come."

But uber-liberal Jewish pundit M.J. Rosenberg thinks it was an intentional Israeli attempt to undermine the US rapprochement to Iran: "I hear that the White House is furious." He added that "Today's Times reports that when asked about the Israeli move, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, 'I know we notified our allies about our message last evening,' saying he did not know if the Israelis had been notified."

Rosenberg doesn't pick up on this, because that doesn't fit in with his thesis ("Of course, they were. No other ally is as concerned about Iran as Israel so Jerusalem must have been at the top of the list of those notified."), but there is a clear snub here. If Gibbs says the White House notified "our allies" and he did not know if Israel was notified, where does that leave Israel?

Tags: Iranian threat, Nowruz, Obama, Peres, diplomacy

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Comment by Andrew on March 26, 2009 at 7:40am: Thank you Tricia.

“When your supporters think you are god I suppose you don’t feel the need to worship the real one!”

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Comment by Linda Clapp on March 26, 2009 at 6:27am: Mr. Peres simply and with eloquence spoke Truth. Obama speaks with such a Forked-tongue that what the Leftest's are calling eloquent- I call mesmerizing, hypnotic lie. Peres gets my vote for truly seeking Peace, with this greeting. O is appeasing the Monster which has control of what we can hope are good Iranian People. Tricia, I've picked up on alot of the 'partying at the White House' also. $100 steak dinners and weekly Cocktail Partys! There has been mucho money spent on the traveling by Air Force One. One trip, to Elkhart, Ind.- I found funny because O gave a promise that his stimulas package would allow a company to hire-back hundreds of workers- Then, the next speaker, basically pointed out to the company how unrealistic that was! O flew to California for a few partys in Hollywood to talk up his Budget nonsense. And, I think at last count, the O family has taken 3 short vacations. He's been in a little over 2 months. Must be pretty stressful, you know, because O has been having to attempt to keep his supporters supplied with Kool-Aid and at the same time send his goons to discredit anyone who is dissenting to the Socialist/Islamic agenda. Difficult to find a Black/Racist/Revisionist Church in D.C. which allows believers in Islam and can keep the family safe from prying eyes. Can't let the Public know such things- ya know. O laughs about Special children's issues on late night comedy shows. He's about to get a slap-in-the-face by the Catholics who are up in arms that he's been invited to give the commencment address at Notre Dame. True Catholics are protesting because of his 'againist Life' positions, which the Catholic Bishops say should not be shown any honor. [Good for them!] He has had to color his hair, at least once- age is coming on fast. The White House might be displeased with Peres but the American People are fast rising up with Displeasure at the White House! Go figure! Guess we Americans really didn't want a family in the White House pretending to be Royalty. We fought the American Revolution over stuff like 'the rights of kingship and taxation', and I'm beginning to hope that we Americans have not Changed in our definitions of Democracy. Go Peres!

Comment by Andrew on March 26, 2009 at 3:31am: BTW do you have any more news on whether he has found a church yet? Or is he still spending Sunday mornings working out?

Comment by Andrew on March 26, 2009 at 3:29am: Tricia, what has stuck in my mind is what Capt-Dax said about Michelle Obama being struck off as a lawyer. I can't believe that is not a big issue over there.

Comment by Whatistruth? on March 23, 2009 at 7:25pm: How on earth can we possibly endure this level of stupidity from the Oval Office for four lo-o-o-ng years?

Comment by Michael S. on March 23, 2009 at 3:12pm: It is my belief that it is coming soon(..........................)boom!

Comment by Benyamin on March 23, 2009 at 2:17pm: This is the change the amerikans voted for. Why are amerikan gews so surprised? Karnak Nobama wants to get rid of Israel along with anyone making over $1500.00 in the US. Welcome to change. Change from $1.00 to fifiy cents.

Comment by Robert Bernier on March 23, 2009 at 9:42am: Decisions for the security of Israel should be taken in Jerusalem not in Washington.
Today the U.S. is doing everything it can to restrain Israel from hitting Iran’s Nuclear facilities - despite Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s frequent promises to "wipe Israel off the map". Israel will not be allowed to refuel in or fly over Iraq (despite control by American forces) because the Arabists in the State Department say "No!" There is no argument that Israel can offer in terms of her vulnerability that will change their collective mind-set to allow Israel to defend herself. In order to understand the immediate danger to Israel : http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2008/01/nuclear-power-and-anti-semitism.html

Comment by Robert Bernier on March 23, 2009 at 9:39am: The USA needs more friends like Israel!
The majority of American people stand with Israel because Israel shares America’s values of democracy, pluralism and freedom. Israel and America are also faced with a common enemy – radical, militant Islam. Israel is a steadfast ally who has shared its technological advances with the U.S., including the pilotless reconnaissance planes (drones) and innovative bandages that are saving so many American soldiers in Iraq. As to the USA…Just open : http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2009/02/with-no-likelihood-of-american-use-of.html

Comment by Andrew on March 23, 2009 at 4:53am: There must be two Shimon Peres. The first is the idiot who accepted the nobel peace prize with Arafat and says things like making peace is like getting married you just have to close your eyes and hope for the best.

Then there is the second Peres, the one who made this statement and who also said Iran should remember that it too can be wiped off the face of the earth.

I don't like the first one, but quite like the second one.