IN THE MEDIA

Letter: Iran apologist driven by prejudice

May 15, 2018 | Allon Lee

Letter: Iran apologist driven by prejudice

Australian Financial Review, May 15 2018

http://www.afr.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/letters-constitutional-reform-iran-and-huawei-20180514-h101ma

No sensible expert on the Middle East should be able to assert that Iran is disinterested in “regional dominance”, “does not seek” it and “is light years from achieving” it without provoking laughter (“The art of regime change”, May 10).

Top regime figures have boasted that they control four Arab capitals – Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad and Sana’a – while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp openly says it wants to ensure Iranian control over a land corridor from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.  

Domestically, Iranians know they are the ones paying the price for their leaders’ regional ambitions. Chants and slogans during widespread protests across Iran earlier this year explicitly criticised the regime for wasting the nuclear deal’s economic benefits on foreign interventions such as propping up Syria’s dictator.

Iran’s megalomania is so worrying that it has even pushed the Saudis, Kuwaitis, UAE and other Sunni Arab countries to form a covert alliance with Israel.

Yet Stephen Walt can only see the Machiavellian hand of Israel and its supposed neo-con pawns in the US behind concerns about the Iranian problem. The fact that he did not even mention the deep panic over Iran in almost all Arab capitals suggests Walt’s analysis was driven not by Trump’s policies but his own prejudices.

Allon Lee 
Policy analyst
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council
South Melbourne, Vic

Tags:

RELATED ARTICLES


Canberratimes Logo

Letter: Palestinian extremist voices were opposed because of their racism

Mar 24, 2023 | Featured, Fresh AIR, In the media
Israel's Supreme Court in session, January 5, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. (Credit: Eddie Gerald/Alamy Live News)

Israel’s proposed judicial reforms – Jamie Hyams on J-Air radio

Mar 22, 2023 | Featured, In the media
Image: Shutterstock

Why we need the IHRA definition of antisemitism

Mar 17, 2023 | Featured, In the media
Image: Shutterstock

Letter: Religious bigotry, and racism, have no legitimacy in public discourse

Mar 17, 2023 | In the media
Ehud Yaari

Ehud Ya’ari on ABC Radio National: Israel’s judicial reforms controversy, and increasing West Bank violence

Mar 13, 2023 | Featured, Fresh AIR, In the media
Image: Shutterstock

Letter: Calling out racism

Mar 10, 2023 | In the media

SIGN UP FOR AIJAC EMAILS

RECENT POSTS

Canberratimes Logo

Letter: Palestinian extremist voices were opposed because of their racism

Israel's Supreme Court in session, January 5, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. (Credit: Eddie Gerald/Alamy Live News)

Israel’s proposed judicial reforms – Jamie Hyams on J-Air radio

L-R: Dr Michael Trainor, Sr Giovanni Farquer, Jeremy Jones

AIJAC congratulates Australian Catholics on “Powerful affirmation of friendship”

Shutterstock 2026681823

AIJAC welcomes proposed Federal ban on Nazi symbols and salutes

Image: Shutterstock

AIJAC welcomes additional Iran sanctions

Canberratimes Logo

Letter: Palestinian extremist voices were opposed because of their racism

Israel's Supreme Court in session, January 5, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. (Credit: Eddie Gerald/Alamy Live News)

Israel’s proposed judicial reforms – Jamie Hyams on J-Air radio

L-R: Dr Michael Trainor, Sr Giovanni Farquer, Jeremy Jones

AIJAC congratulates Australian Catholics on “Powerful affirmation of friendship”

Shutterstock 2026681823

AIJAC welcomes proposed Federal ban on Nazi symbols and salutes

Image: Shutterstock

AIJAC welcomes additional Iran sanctions

SORT BY TOPICS