“We’re friends with Israelis! No we’re not! We are! No….! ”

Boys, boys. Please. There’s enough maniacal inbred fighting for everyone.

Iran’s vice president [Esfandiar Rahim Mashai] has said the Iranians are friends of all people in the world - even Israelis, Tehran state media reported on Monday.

It’s a rare comment from a government official in Iran, whose president regularly calls for Israel’s destruction.

….and from the Arabic new source Asharq Alawsat:

Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani said on Monday Iran is no friends of the Israelis, reacting to remarks to the contrary by an aide of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Fars news agency reported.

“We are not friends with the Israeli people and Iran has a logic which is what the (supreme) leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) has said,” Larijani was quoted as saying.

Interestingly, the Iranian VP Mashai is in charge of Iranian tourism and his recent positive sentiments towards Israel may actually have more to do with bringing in foreign tourist money rather than sincerity.

"The Land of Civilization and Friendship"

I mean, c’mon! The Iranian tourism slogan is “The Land of Civilization and Friendship” for goodness sake!

On second thought, perhaps we’re not translating the meaning of “Iranian friendship” properly. This and this and this should clear things up.

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