Israeli Political figures recently suggested to President Shimon Peres that he consider the possibility of passing a special message to the Iranian people marking the holiday of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. President Peres acceded to the request, and has turned to the Iranian people with a special message emphasizing the respect that he has for them despite their being subjugated at the hands of radical leadership.

Accordingly, in the past week the President has recorded an interview and holiday greeting, part of which was in Farsi, for Voice of Israel-Farsi radio, which was broadcasted in Iran and which reached a broad audience.

Iranian President Peres told of his visit as an official guest in Iran during the period of the Shah, when Israel and Iran enjoyed very close relations.

President Peres also discussed the Holocaust denial that the President of Iran practices, saying, “Since when is he an expert on the Jewish Holocaust? Was he in Auschwitz? What does he know? He talks and talks all day, but he is only destroying his own people. They won’t succeed in destroying us so quickly, and we have already heard during the 4,000 years of our existence many speeches, many anti-Semites, and many people who wanted to wipe us out – we are still here; they are not. Iran’s leaders should let people live, let women breathe, let the economy develop, and stop trafficking all day in bombs and uranium – is that in the name of God? This is what Allah wants from them?”