HERMINE HOVHANNISYAN
The period of close ties was ended abruptly by the Islamic revolution in Iran . “ Iran ’ s involvement in Lebanon and its moral , political , and logistical support for Islamist movements ( Hamas , Hezbollah , and Islamic Jihad ) made it more directly involved in the Arab – Israeli conflict .” 83 Also , Iran ’ s attempts to obtain weapons of mass destruction and develop its nuclear program were seen by Israel as another serious threat and challenge . Furthermore , revolutionary Iran had a tough stance on the Palestinian issue . It rejected Israel ’ s claims that Palestine was the historical home of Jews . Revolutionaries considered Zionism to be a racist ideology . 84 They said that “ the Zionist regime is a microbe that has inflicted disease on the region , and there was no solution for this pariah state , but its dismantling ”. 85 Hence , Israel could not have close relations with the country , which opposed its existence and repeatedly called for its destruction .
Bilateral relations witnessed a cooling after the Iran-Iraq war : “ With Iraq defeated and sanctioned , Israel sees Iran as the only country left in the region with an offensive capability that can threaten Israel .” 86 Additionally , in 1993 , the President of Israel said that after the defeat of Iraq , Iran had become a strategic superpower which further strengthened Israel ’ s enmity towards Iran . 87 In addition to all this , in the 2000s , “ Israel depicted Iran and its quest for nuclear technology as a lethal threat to the country .” 88 Notably , Israel was afraid that Iran ’ s plans to advance its nuclear potential would deter its nuclear capacity , which is why Israel ’ s fears and concerns in this regard deepened further .
Things became worse due to the Nuclear Deal or the JCPOA agreement with Iran , signed in mid-July , 2015 . Like Saudi Arabia , Israel was also strictly opposed to the deal . The crux of the matter was that the deal would not have prevented Iran from developing its nuclear program and abolishing its nuclear resources . It would only halt the advancement for a while . However , Iran would still be able to increase its nuclear potential . Highly concerned about the agreement , Netanyahu called the deal a “ historic mistake for the world .” 89
83
David Menashri , “ Iran , Israel and the Middle East Conflict ,” Israel Affairs 12 , no . 1 ( 2006 ): 109 . 84 Katajun Amirpur , “ Iran ' s Policy towards Jewish Iranians and the State of Israel . Is the
Present Iranian State Islamofascist ? Die Welt Des Islams 52 no . 3 / 4 , ( 2012 ): 370-399 . 85 Menashri , “ Iran , Israel and the Middle East Conflict ,” 111 . 86 Trita Parsi , “ Israel-Iranian Relations Assessed : Strategic Competition from the Power
Cycle Perspective ,” Iranian Studies 38 , no . 2 ( 2005 ): 249 . 87 Ibid ., 247-269 .
88
Ibid ., 249 89 Associated Press , “ Netanyahu Calls Iran Deal Historic Mistake ,” Jule 14 , 2015 , https :// www . youtube . com / watch ? v = jRF9Uqus-tA .
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