A personal reflection
As Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visits New Zealand, Israel’s Ambassador in Wellington has published a personal reflection in which he writes about Iran’s recently tested missiles bearing an inscription that Israel should be wiped off the map.
Ambassador Yosef Livne
Today Mr Zarif will hold talks with New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key ahead of his visit this week to Canberra.
Israel’s ambassador to New Zealand Yosef Livne wrote this personal reflection:
Mohammad Javad Zarif
“The era of the “Film Noir” genre has witnessed the production of many films. Recently two such films found their way into my mind: One, “While the City Sleeps” and the other, “The Asphalt Jungle”. The two are different but what they have in common is the description of all the machinations that go unnoticed while people are tucked away in their beds.
The reason is the recent developments vis-à-vis Iran. All over the globe, leaders and corporations seem to be in a hurry to arrive in the Islamic Republic. Everyone seems to be bent on securing business and in the rush overlook some very serious concerns. While the World is on its way to Teheran, Iran has not changed its aggressive behavior. Its involvement in the Syrian civil strife, its continued support for Hezbollah and just yesterday we received a renewed reminder. The launching of the ballistic missiles with the inscription ‘Israel should be wiped of the map’ needs no further comments.
All films can be adapted and even the dark stories of “Film Noir” are but stories. Aggressive policies and threats are not. While everyone rushes to do business, let’s not forget the Jungle and its threats.”
Amazing, isn’t it, the blind eye of Julie Bishop and others, while they romance the Iranian regime?!
I still say that Bishop is more aware of herself within ‘sophisticated’ international meetings, as in Europe, and Iran, ‘exotic’ to her sense of ‘other’, than she is of the concrete realities of regions. Her fashion sense and wardrobe are significantly important, especially adding that scarf to the head in Iran, which in fact, so carefully placed, exposed the first third of her hair and head (totally inappropriate); the bright red glitter suit for the UN speech and only today, a special green jacket, reported as costing $1000 or so, and even more special shiny new ankle boots (to replace those high, high heels) for the mud of cyclone torn Fiji – yep, there she was, posing in mode of model for the pics. after having arrived at a destination devastated by cyclone! She’s an intelligent, hard-working woman, however needs, especially at her age, to let go of a bit of ego and concentrate on the nitty gritty.
What might she have to say about that inscription on those newly tested Iranian missiles? Somebody engage her in conversation about it, please, and let’s see what sort of general positive face she can put on that.