Iran and Israel: Is war inevitable? Why are there tensions between Iran and Israel?
By: Ryan Greenspoon, JEHIT-01

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The Iranian-Israeli conflict is one of the most significant conflicts currently raging in the Middle East. Relations between Iran and Israel were civil for a long period of time up until 1979 when Muslim extremists overthrew the leader of Iran,
Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. (“Iran-Israel Relations”) The extremists led by
Ayatollah Khomeini declared Israel “an enemy of Islam” and “The Little Satan” and ever since, Israel has had tumultuous relations with Iran. (“Iran-Israel Relations”)
Shortly after the 1979 revolution in Iran, hundreds of university students took control of both the U.S. and Israeli embassies in various places and, in Teheran, the capital of Iran, took hundreds of U.S. hostages for a long period of time. (“Iran-Israel
Relations”) Since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (who was one of the captors of the U.S. hostages was elected President of Iran in 2005, Israel-Iran relations have become even more strained. (Lorentz, John H.) Iran calls Israel the “Zionist Regime” and does not recognize it as a country. (“Iran-Israel Relations”) Many believe that an attack by
Israel on Iran is expected in the near future. The conflict between Israel and Iran exists because of Iran not accepting Israel’s right to exist and Iran’s funding and support for anti-Israel terrorist groups, which conflict has become more volatile as a result of Iran’s development of nuclear weapons. The Covert War between Israel and Iran has been ongoing for over 30 years.
In 1948, when Israel was established, Iran was one of the only Muslim countries to recognize Israel. (“Iran-Israel Relations”) Iranian/Israeli relations were civil. It wasn’t until the Shah of Iran was overthrown in 1979 that Iran began to deny Israel’s right to exist. (“Iran-Israel Relations”) Unlike the Shah, who was a secular leader, the government of Iran is currently run by extremist Shiite Muslim

3 fanatics. (“Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.”) These leaders believe that in order for their
Messiah (the Twelve Imam) to come, they must wage war on all nonbelievers/infidels, which include the Jewish people. (Hejazi, Arash) The government of Iran officially denies the Holocaust and continually states that it wants to wipe
Israel off the face of the earth. (Lorentz, John H.)
As a result of Iran’s hostility to Israel, Iran has actively funded and supported many anti-Israel terrorist groups over the years. Iran provides support to Hamas,
Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad whose purpose is to annihilate Israel. ("Iran and
Terrorism - State Sponsored Terrorism in Iran.") Iran aids these groups by giving them money, access to weaponry and training. ("Iran and Terrorism - State Sponsored
Terrorism in Iran.") During the Second Lebanon War against Israel, Hezbollah alongside Iranian Revolutionary Guards fought against Israel. ("Iran and Terrorism State Sponsored Terrorism in Iran.") Ninety percent of Iran is Shiite Muslim. (Hafiz,
Ghulam Mustafa.) Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim organization. ("Iran and Terrorism State Sponsored Terrorism in Iran.") Hamas and Islamic Jihad are Sunni Muslim organizations but Iran still supports them. (Greenspoon, Avi) Hezbollah and Hamas have both overpowered their governments in Lebanon and Gaza just like Khomeini overthrew the Shah of Iran. Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and Iran all have common intentions of destroying Israel and gruesomely murdering the Jewish people that inhabit Israel.
Iran has become a much larger threat to Israel since it commenced its nuclear program. In 1990, China and Iran signed an agreement allowing Iran’s nuclear engineers to be trained by China’s nuclear program. ("Potential Threats To

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Israel: Iran.") China and Pakistan have provided Iran with advanced nuclear technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons. (Greenspoon, Avi)
Russia is also a major supplier of Iran. It