An Israeli diplomat chatted directly with Iranian citizens on a Voice of America talk show.
Ehud Danoch, Israel’s consul general in Los Angeles, a city with a large Iranian community, was a guest Sunday on the TV talk show “Roundtable,” which is simulcast on VOA television and radio. Like many other Persian-language broadcasts, the show takes calls directly from Iranians living in Iran.
Danoch fielded positive and hostile questions, according to a media release from the Israeli Embassy in Washington. One caller questioned the Holocaust, while another spoke of Iranians’ “love” for Israelis.
“There are more similarities between our peoples than differences,” said Danoch, whose main message was that Israel distinguishes between Iran’s extremist anti-Israel leadership and its people. “It is important that the people of Iran send a clear message to their leaders that they understand that the people of the free world will not allow their way of life to be threatened by an extremist regime.”
The broadcast included Danoch’s Los Angeles consulate’s e-mail address, and the consulate reported receiving “tens” of e-mails by Tuesday morning.
