Most Iranians are pro-Israel, an expatriate says

From his home floor in Chicago, the 59-year-old émigré from Iran operates a satellite TV station that broadcasts in the Azerbaijani language to tens of millions of Azeris living in Iran and the diaspora.

“The idea that if you are Shiite, that you are against it and that Israel is completely wrong. The idea that all the people of Iran are against Israel is even more wrong,” Obali told Ynet in an interview. “I believe most of the people of Iran do not see an enemy in Israel.”

“The Azeris in Iran see a friend in Israel. There is no reason why our people should consider the State of Israel as an enemy. We have a common enemy, the Azeris in Iran, and that is the attractions,” he said, referring to Iran’s Islamic leadership.

Some believe that Obali station is the voice of the Azeri uprising in Iran. In both Azerbaijan and Iran, he was nicknamed “Iran-Azeri Anderson Cooper” after CNN broadcaster.

In the eyes of Iran’s regime, Obali is considered an enemy – but Tehran has failed to prevent millions of citizens from watching its broadcasts via satellite, Skype, WhatsApp groups and other social networks. , and countless Iranian Azeris go on air without fear.

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Obali, then a high school student, was arrested on suspicion of harassment. He managed to escape the country and found work at the UN Human Rights Council collecting reports on human rights violations in Iran. After four years, he arrived in the USA where he found refuge.

“After the uprising, we realized that what they were doing was not what they promised. We were seen as enemies of the regime so they arrested me and my friends,” he said. e.

In 2004, Obali realized the need to raise awareness of government unrest among the Azeri minority in Iran and founded Günaz TV.

“We’ve been on the air 24 hours a day since 2005. Our broadcasts are in Azeri-Turkish, but every Saturday we broadcast in Farsi. I give him a lot of air time. the various ethnic minorities in Iran, “he said.

“Iran has no majority, because it is a multinational society. There are Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens and others. Iran is not only a multi- national country. ethnic, but also multi-geographic. Each ethnic group has its own area like Kurdistan for Kurds and Arabistan for Arabs. “

According to Obali, the Iranians see the Azeris in Iran as believers who had converted.

“The Azeris are mostly Shi’ites but they are definitely not against them. There is no reason for problems between the investigations and the Azeris, there is a historical connection between them.

“In fact, the Azeris are the most tolerant group in Iran towards other religions and not just because of. There is no reason for us to be enemies. We have the reasons to be friends. The Azeris in Iran see a friend in Israel. “

Obali himself has never been to Israel before but hopes to visit the Jewish state once COVID-19 travel restrictions allow him to do so.

“Throughout history, there has been an Azeri national movement in Iran. The Azeris wanted more freedom, more secrecy. There is also a movement that wants the Azeris to be united in Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, want the capital in Tabriz and not Baku Hundreds of pro-independence activists have been imprisoned and tortured in prison.

“There are shows by Azeris in Iran but unfortunately they do not get coverage in the Western media. Foreign media in Iran sit only in Tehran and they are not allowed to leave, it can not the media do interviews with Azeris, which is a problem because when they are there in a test, they don’t know about it and that’s where we step in with our TV station, “Obali said .

“We are the voice of the Azeris. Azeris have no representation even though they make up more than a third of the people of Iran. In the past, a group in the Iranian parliament was made up of Azeris. A- out of 290 members of parliament in Iran – 109 have joined a group representing the Turkish regions of Iran. Iran sees these regions as a threat to national security. “

“I can tell you that most Iranians are pro-Israel. But for Azeris, it’s a fact. Hezbollah representatives are among the Azeris as well, but they are a minority. I would more than 90% of Azeris are pro-Israel. “

Obali TV station, which is watched by around a million people every day, reports widely on the excellent cooperation between Israel and the Republic of Azerbaijan, which was particularly evident in the recent conflict between Central Asian country and its neighbor Armenia in the debate. Nagorno-Karabakh Division.

This sentiment erupted earlier this month when a humanitarian delegation made up of Israeli medical professionals landed in Azerbaijan and treated more than 150 Azeri soldiers wounded in A Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

In several cases, the Israeli surgeons were able to restore sight to the wounded soldiers. The most famous examples include several Azeri soldiers in their early 20s, most notably Arif Gadzhiev, who lost his sight when he was wounded by an explosive shell that left him unable to distinguish between light and darkness alone. The surgery, which lasted several hours, involved removal of traumatic cataracts, intraocular lens implantation and corneal transplantation. After several days of recovery, Arif regained his reading ability.

Israeli activity was widely covered in Azeri media in Azerbaijan and Iran. Günaz TV aired about 40 Azeris from Tehran who portrayed Israel with warm words, shouting at the Jewish state “friend” or “sister nation” while labeling the Islamic Republic “enemy”. “

Hikmat Hajiyev, a supporter of the Azerbaijani president, has shared a message of thanks on Twitter as he thanked the Israeli delegation for ophthalmological support to injured servicemen.

“Such a good story. We are grateful to the Israeli medical team for providing health support in ophthalmology to our wounded soldiers / officers. It is also a sign of friendship between our countries, ”Hajiyev wrote in his Twitter account.

“It is a very complicated situation. Iran has complex problems. Lack of opposition keeps the attractions in power, this is the main problem. The main complaint against the Iranians must be united and understand that everyone has rights.Unfortunately, Persian opponents believe that if Azeris and Kurds get rights, the country will split up and so they are not willing to unite with ethnic minorities Without unification, it will be very difficult. “

“I think the sanctions should never be lifted any time soon and even when they are lifted, they should be lifted to some extent, because Iran is on its knees. Iran has to surrender, stop support terrorism, abandon their dangerous nuclear missiles and missiles to get rid of a lot of things and if [U.S. President Joe] Biden pushes them, they do it.

“Inside, they are in a very difficult position. But they will never abandon their desire for nuclear weapons, no matter what agreement they reach, Tehran will be deceived. In a sense, I think that there will be no real change as long as the attractions are in power. Sanctions should continue as this is the best solution so far but the aim should be a new government. establish. “

“I am neither for nor against the attacks of Israel or other weapons, I will leave it to the nations. One thing I know for sure, if there is an attack against the Iranian government, there is no reason for the people uniting behind the government. This is another misunderstanding of the West. “