Israel and Iran can have a prosperous future said Reza Pahlavi — the son of the deposed Iranian Shah —as he and his wife Yakima made their first-ever visit to Israel on Monday night.
“We are very happy to be here and are dedicated to working toward the peaceful [and] prosperous future that the people of our region deserve,” he tweeted on landing in Ben-Gurion Airport where he was greeted by Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel who had arranged his visit.
“From the children of Cyrus, to the children of Israel, we will build this future together, in friendship,” Pahlavi tweeted.
A message of unity between Israel and the Iranian people
His trip underscores Israel’s message of unity with the Iranian people given that the two nations have a historic relationship that continued with the modern state and was destroyed only in 1979 during the Islamic revolution that thrust Pahlavi’s father Mohammed out of power.
The Islamic Republic has since treated Israel as an enemy nation and has threatened to annihilate it, a goal which has caused Israeli leaders to view it as an existential threat akin to that which the Jews faced from Nazi Germany. Iranian leaders are also among those who have denied that the Holocaust occurred.
To counter that image, Pahlavi went directly from Ben-Gurion Airport to the national Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Yad Vashem.
“It is especially meaningful for me to be here on #YomHaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today, I join Holocaust survivors and their families at @yadvashem to help keep the memory of Holocaust victims alive. As author Elie Wiesel said, without memory there is no hope.”
At the end of the ceremony Pahlavi stood for Israel's national anthem and then met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah.
Gamliel said that Pahlavi was “the most senior Iranian personality to ever come to a public visit to Israel. 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.”
She added that was also grateful for his visit to Yad Vashem “in order to sympathize with the Jewish people, in contrast to Iran's rulers who deny the Holocaust and encourage antisemitism. Together, through a common vision, we will take the first step in building bridges and collaborations between the two peoples.”
Prior to his arrival Pahlavi wrote of his visit, “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.”
As part of his itinerary, he will meet with Israeli officials and visit the Western Wall and the Bahaii Gardens in Haifa.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani was dismissive when asked about the trip at his weekly press conference.
"Neither the person you've mentioned (Reza Pahlavi), the purpose of this trip, nor the place he wants to travel to are worthy of discussion," he said.
Reuters contributed to this report.