Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile, made history by visiting Israel this week. Pahlavi, the son of the Iranian Shah exiled in 1979, the last non-Islamist ruler of Iran, attended a ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and prayed at the Western Wall.
Intelligence Minister Gamliel, who hosted Pahlavi, welcomed his “brave decision” to visit Israel, adding, “The crown prince symbolizes a leadership different from that of the ayatollah regime, and leads values of peace and tolerance, in contrast to the extremists who rule Iran.”
At the “Heroes and Martyrs Remembrance” ceremony on Monday at Yad Vashem, the Crown Prince said that it was his “duty” to attend the event and honor the Holocaust victims.
“It’s a Biblical relationship that our two countries have had over centuries and today when we have the regime that denies the Holocaust has ever occurred it’s my duty to be here representing my fellow compatriots, to honor the victims of the Holocaust and pay my respects to this nation and its people,” he told i24News.
In a tweet about his visit to Yad Vashem, Pahlavi wrote, “Anti-Semitism is evil. It’s not just a Jewish problem. It’s a problem for all humanity. Together with my Iranian compatriots, I condemn the Islamic Republic’s genocidal Jew-hatred and Holocaust denial, and commit to never allow such an unconscionable atrocity to ever happen again.”
Haunting visit to @yadvashem. We must #NeverForget the lessons of the Holocaust.
Anti-Semitism is evil. It’s not just a Jewish problem. It’s a problem for all humanity. Together with my Iranian compatriots, I condemn the Islamic Republic’s genocidal Jew-hatred and Holocaust… pic.twitter.com/kU2g3rtYIy
— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) April 19, 2023
At the Western Wall Plaza, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz and the chief of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, explained to him the Western Wall’s significance to the Jewish people throughout the generations, and the reality of living in Jerusalem, a city which respects and ensures freedom of religion for all.
During the Holocaust Memorial Day siren, Pahlavi stood in the Western Wall plaza near the central flag, alongside hundreds of worshipers who were praying at the site. The Western Wall rabbi said a chapter of Psalms with him, and together they prayed for peace for the nations and peoples, between Israel and Iran.
Pahlavi was very moved by the visit, and signed the Western Wall guestbook with the words, “To peace, to freedom, to security, respect of man, and to life together. I bless the people of Iran and Israel.”
Gamliel told him how moving his visit to the Wall was, as it sends a message of hope and peace to the entire world. The visit ended with a tour of the Western Wall tunnels.
On Twitter, Pahlavi wrote,
“So said Cyrus, the king of Persia, ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of the heavens delivered to me, and He commanded me to build Him a House in Jerusalem, which is in Judea.’” – Hebrew Bible, Ezra 1:2
2,500 years ago, Cyrus the Great liberated the Jewish people from captivity and helped them rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem. It is with profound awe that I visit the Western Wall of that Temple and pray for the day when the good people of Iran and Israel can renew our historic friendship.
“So said Cyrus, the king of Persia, ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of the heavens delivered to me, and He commanded me to build Him a House in Jerusalem, which is in Judea.’” – Hebrew Bible, Ezra 1:2
2,500 years ago, Cyrus the Great liberated the Jewish people from… pic.twitter.com/HIVOj5RvoZ
— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) April 18, 2023
The exiled crown prince, described as “most senior Iranian personality ever to visit Israel,” has been in exile for 43 years and resides in the United States. He is a vocal advocate for human rights reforms in Iran. On Sunday he tweeted:
“I am traveling to Israel to deliver a message of friendship from the Iranian people, engage Israeli water experts on ways to address the regime’s abuse of Iran’s natural resources and pay respects to the victims of the Holocaust on Yom HaShoah.”
Pahlavi added, “I want the people of Israel to know that the Islamic Republic does not represent the Iranian people. The ancient bond between our people can be rekindled for the benefit of both nations. I’m going to Israel to play my role in building toward that brighter future.”
Yasmine and I were very pleased to meet with @IsraeliPM and Sara @netanyahu. We expressed appreciation for Israel’s continued support for the Iranian people’s democratic aspirations and emphasized that, as the children of Cyrus the Great, Iranians aspire to have a government that… pic.twitter.com/lInuy4lwdC
— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) April 19, 2023
Commenting on the visit, Israel’s Intelligence Minister Gila Gamaliel, said, “We appreciate the Crown Prince’s expression of solidarity with the citizens of Israel in the face of the severe terrorist attacks perpetrated by Iran, as well as his visit to Yad Vashem on the occasion of Holocaust Day in order to sympathize with the Jewish people, in contrast to Iran’s rulers who deny the Holocaust and encourage anti-Semitism,” the minister said.
This year, we want to do more to bless Israel and the Jewish people.
We know that as we bless Israel this year, God will bless us, just as He promised in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Now is the time to bless Israel and the Jewish people.
