Doves in Cordoba, Spain. Photo taken by the author while on the "September Journey"
The elevator picked me up on the fifth floor. One moment before its doors shut, four more passangers boarded: a bearded man, his two young children and an older lady wearing a headscarf, possibly his mother or mother-in-law. They conversed in Farsi. The door shut and I was left in a tiny chamber with the Iranian enemy.
The presence of Iranians in the hotel elevator came as no surprise. This was, after all, Yerevan, Armenia, a city known as an attractive destination for Iranian tourists, especially secular ones. Armenia is the only Christian country that borders Iran. It offers Iranians a relaxing respite from the tough Sharia laws, in addition to alcohol, bacon, and a slightly different landscape in which to celebrate the coming Nowruz holiday. Be that as may, being in Iranian company during such tense times stirs a sense of drama in an Israeli heart, and I chose to experiment with it.
The man’s jacket was decorated with a small symbol: three red stripes and a soccer ball. I asked him in English which club this symbol represents, and noted that “my team is also red.” He replied that he has no idea, and asked which is my red team. When I said “Hapoel Tel Aviv,” his eyes seemed to light up. “Are they doing well this year?” he asked.
“Very well,” I found myself stuttering in surprise, “They just beat Maccabi Haifa 4-1 last night.” I am not actually a fan of Hapoel nor of any team, and mentioned a red team simply in order to spark the conversation. I hardly follow soccer and just overheard other Israelis speaking of the win in the hotel’s dining room at breakfast. Now I was truly glad I had. The Iranian smiled.
“I hope there will be peace among us and not war,” I said.
“So do I,” he replied.
The elevator arrived at the ground floor and we each went our own way, perhaps each toward our own death, depending on Ehud Barak’s whims.
Upon returning to Israel I learned that no Armenian elevators are necessary to break the walls of anonymity, so precious for warmongering leaders, or to converse with Iranians as human beings. An Israeli anti-war campaign (“Iranians, we love you”) took Facebook by storm and was met with the response of a similar Iranian campaign (“Israelis, we love you”). The fact the neither nation is interested in war enjoys solid proof. Recent polls show that 65 percent of Israelis oppose a preemptive strike on Iran, while in Tehran even politicians refrain from discussing the option of attacking us (besides perhaps Ahmadinejad, whose mandate for decision-making is highly limited).
This is the time to say something extremely elementary, which for some reason we tend to forget: wars are bad. They are really awful, no matter the excuses employed to declare them. Declaring wars always seems like a good idea in the moment, but it is one that inevitably leads to deep regret. There is, indeed, a strong argument in favor of this war: a nuclear Iran will change the face of the Middle East. That is certain, but assuming that a war now will prevent a “worse war” in the future is unrealistic.
If anything, history proves that two nuclear powers are drawn not to active war but to a cold war – an arms race in which potential violence ends up largely replacing violence on the ground. Such was the case when the United States and Soviet Union faced off; such is the case between Pakistan and India today.
The risk of Iran using nuclear power against Israel is minute, not only because it would be akin to suicide on its part – since Israel has been developing nukes for decades already – but also because the grand reasoning for attacking Israel would be its treatment of the Palestinians. The holy land is a tiny territory in which Israelis and Palestinians live in great proximity to each other. Nuking Israel would mean murdering countless Palestinians and contaminating the glorified land of Palestine for decades to come.
Israeli pro-war propaganda often quotes Ahmadinejad’s statements concerning “an end to Israel.” These are entirely misunderstood by the Israeli public. In Ahmadinejad’s terminology, this territory is “Palestine.” the “Israel” he wishes to destroy is a political entity, and political entities are not destroyed by nuclear warheads.
I am glad Ehud Barak wishes to watch missiles flying across monitors. It is for this reason that video games were invented. I am glad that pro-Netanyahu journalist Amos Regev can put together a call to arms to match that of Henry V at Agincourt, but what we need today is sensible thinking, rather than dangerous sword-smithing, and we are not alone: While the leaders – particularly Israel’s leaders – prefer war over any other option, and fuel a sense of panic, which draws attention away from their corruption, citizens of both countries insist that an alternative exists.
I prefer to listen to peace-loving Iranians and Israelis rather than to warmongering Iranians and Israelis. Thank goodness that the age of Facebook allows us to hear each other and communicate in such a way. The more we experience the humanity of the other side and its fear of war, the more determined we will be to oppose the disaster brewed for us by our misled chiefs, and to focus on the true objective: a future away game beteen Maccabi Haifa and F.C. Persepolis, with green jerseys taking the lead over red ones this time around.
(This post was originally published in Hebrew as part of my weekly column in the Isreali website “Mako”)
For additional original analysis and breaking news, visit +972 Magazine's Facebook page or follow us on Twitter. Our newsletter features a comprehensive round-up of the week's events. Sign up here.
aristeides
“Chosen foe” is well said. Iran is a foe of choice.
Steve
No, Iran is a foe because they fund Hamas against Israel, and their leaders keep talking about removing Israel from existence.
palestinian
omg Yuval ,Israelis are angels from heaven ,they do no harm to anyone its only their evil government,its their government that humiliates ,shoots ,demolishes ,steals , arrests,tortures,spits ,hits,lies,….and its the 500,000+ members of the government that colonize the settlements in the west bank and palestine48….
Steve
To “PALESTINIAN” – What’s your sarcastic opinion of the millions of Palestinians who voted for Hamas terrorists as leaders?
joe
Steve, don’t you think the opposite could also be true? Could not an Iranian ‘legitimately’ consider Israel a foe because of their treatment of Palestinians? Could not they consider the USA a foe because of their support for Israel?
I don’t think it helps anyone to dehumanise the other. Iran has a disgusting regime which will not last for ever but is doing a lot of damage to their own people and other interests in the region.
Israel is a complex industrial-military power which acts unjustly and oppresses a significant number of people.
There is no need for individual Israelis or Iranians to hate the other. All people everywhere of good will should support each other and work to stop their leaders doing violence in their names.
palestinian
millions ? the 1.5 million arent “millions” and the last time I checked only people over 18 have the right to vote ,do Israeli infants vote ?
Ross
Starts out reasonable. But painting Ahmadinejad as simply misunderstood is just plain naive. Perhaps Ahmadinejad should make an effort to be clear about his desire for acceptance and peace with Israel. If somebody is going around town talking about how he is going to beat me up I am going to take precautions otherwise I am a fool.
aristeides
Ahmadinejad is doing exactly the same thing Netanyahu is – conjuring up an enemy to whip up support for his regime at home.
Steve
Again, ARISTEIDES types absurd stuff. Netanyahu is not “conjuring up an enemy.” Iran was the main funder/supporter behind Hamas for many years, and has repeatedly talked about Israel ceasing to exist, regardless of Netanyahu’s existence.
directrob
As far as Ahmadinejad is concerned Aristeides could be right (I heard the same form a young Iranian, not much to go on but still a local expert). As far as Netanyahu is concerned, don’t you think he looks tired lately.
Yuval Ben-Ami
I take Ross’s point and I agree with Aristides. Ahmadinejad is indeed doing exactly what Netanyahu is. However, please observe: neither leader is threatening to *nuke* the other country, and yet this is what Israelis are told that Ahmadinejad is threatening to do. If Iranians were told that Netanyahu is planning to drop the big one on Isfahan they would be equally mislead, and maybe they are.
Dhalgren
Thank you for this, Yuval Ben-Ami. I wish we had had more humanizing stories of Iraqi people in America before the Iraq War. At the time, I think my arguments against war were, like many, too abstract (basically “inspections are enough”). Of course, I was opposed to sanctions too, as that was essentially a form of collective punishment. The sanctions on Iran are more targeted than those were (and the Iraqi ones became more targeted over time), but it seems too soon to have them with Iran. At least reserve sanctions for the event of the ejection of IAEA inspectors. Right now, we are essentially destroying whatever last scrap of legitimacy the NPT has left. Countries have the right to nuclear power under international law, even ones we don’t like. Twisting that law to our own ends only diminishes its power.
.
Someone posted this in the comments section to Up with Chris Hayes (the March 11th episode). It seems like a good checklist to refer to whenever someone talks about Iran.
http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/03/11/top_ten_media_failures_in_the_iran_war_debate
Steve
YUVAL BEN-AMI wrote: “Ahmadinejad is indeed doing exactly what Netanyahu is”
.
What is wrong with some of you?
.
Ahmadinejad has made many mentions to Israel ceasing to exist. Netanyahu has no interest in making Iran cease to exist, and is concerned that if Iran gets a nuclear weapon they will use it on Israel or give it to a jihad terrorist group who would use it.
Yuval Ben-Ami
Steve, they’re not saying the exact same words, but both are using the public’s emotions towards an assumed enemy to gain political power and divert attention from serious issues.
Steve
Iran paid the Islamist group Hamas to block a deal with the rival Fatah movement that would have ended a five-year rift between the two main Palestinian factions, a Fatah spokesman said on Tuesday. He said Tehran recently resumed financial aid to Hamas which it had suspended six months ago over the Palestinian movement’s failure to back their mutual ally President Bashar Assad of Syria in his military campaign to crush dissent.
.
– http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/fatah-iran-paid-hamas-to-block-palestinian-unity-deal-1.419788
mahin
If you think most Israeli’s are against war I wonder why you did vote so for BIBI? and I’m
sure if right now Nataniahue asks for referendum
he get confirmation right away. the lobbying for
warmongering is stronger for Israelis.