Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recorded a special message Monday on the eve of the two-day Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, which starts at sundown on Wednesday evening.
Specifically addressing the people of Iran and not their radical Islamist government, Netanyahu presaged what the future could hold for Iranians if the “tyrants of Tehran,” as he called the ayatollahs, are defeated.
Watch now. (Transcript follows the video.)
Full Transcript
“I speak a lot about the leaders of Iran.
Yet at this pivotal moment, I want to address you – the people of Iran. I want to do so directly, without filters, without middlemen.
Every day, you see a regime that subjugates you, make fiery speeches about defending Lebanon, defending Gaza.
Yet every day, that regime plunges our region deeper into darkness and deeper into war.
Every day, their puppets are eliminated.
Ask Mohammed Deif.
Ask Nasrallah.
There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach.
There is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and protect our country.
With every passing moment, the regime is bringing you — the noble Persian people — closer to the abyss.
The vast majority of Iranians know their regime doesn’t care a whit about them.
If it did care, if it cared about you, it would stop wasting billions of dollars on futile wars across the Middle East. It would start improving your lives.
Imagine if all the vast money the regime wasted on nuclear weapons and foreign wars were invested in your children’s education, in improving your health care, in building your nation’s infrastructure, water, sewage, all the other things that you need. Imagine that.
But you know one simple thing – Iran’s tyrants don’t care about your future.
But you do.
When Iran is finally free and that moment will come a lot sooner than people think – everything will be different.
Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish people and the Persian people, will finally be at peace.
Our two countries, Israel and Iran, will be at peace.
When that day comes, the terror network that the regime built in five continents will be bankrupt, dismantled.
Iran will thrive as never before.
Global investment.
Massive tourism.
Brilliant technological innovation based on the tremendous talents that exists inside Iran.
Doesn’t that sound better than endless poverty, repression and war?
From Qom to Esfahan, from Shiraz to Tabriz, there are tens of millions of good and decent people with thousands of years of history behind them and a brilliant future ahead of them.
Don’t let a small group of fanatic theocrats crush your hopes and your dreams.
You deserve better.
Your children deserve better.
The entire world deserves better.
I know you don’t support the rapists and murderers of Hamas and Hezbollah, but your leaders do. You deserve more.
The people of Iran should know – Israel stands with you.
May we together know a future of prosperity and peace”.
