By Kayhan Life Staff
On the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel, a group of expatriate Iranian political activists and artists traveled to Israel at the invitation of the Public Diplomacy Department of the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Ambassador Dan Oryan, Director of the ministry’s Civic Society Department, described the Iranian delegation’s visit as a “breath of hope” during the week of the Oct. 7 anniversary. He added that the visit was a “step to strengthen the bond between the people of Israel and Iran and an opportunity to hear about their challenges and share with them what we are facing.”
In addition to touring the site of the Nova Music Festival site and Nir Oz Kibbutz, the delegation attended a remembrance service for the foreign victims of the terrorist attack at the Foreign Ministry and laid flowers in their honor.
Two-time Grammy award winner Hamid Saeidi explained he wanted to visit Israel to see firsthand what happened on Oct. 7 last year. He said, “It is devastatingly heartbreaking to witness that human beings are capable of such acts.”
An Iranian-American musician and composer, Saeidi merges Persian classical music with contemporary and international styles, resulting in a distinctive blend of sounds. He is a founding member of Opium Moon, the ensemble that received a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album in 2019. He received a second Grammy Award for the 2022 LP Mystic Mirror of the American New Age Group, White Sun.
A year has passed since the Hamas terrorist operation against Israel. On the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas forces executed a significant attack against Israel, which has been described as the most severe act of violence against Jewish people since the Holocaust.
On that day, Hamas attackers killed over 1,200 Israeli and non-Israeli citizens and took approximately 250 hostages, some of whom were subsequently killed in the days that followed.
The United Nations Human Rights Council has described the attack as both a “crime against humanity” and a “war crime.”
In a meeting at the headquarters of the hostages’ families, Ambassador Daniel Corman highlighted the anti-Semitic context of the October 7 attack by pointing out that the Hamas militants did not use the term “settlers” or “Israelis,” instead using the term “Jews” during the attacks.
On March 17, 1992, he was a Consul at the Israeli embassy in Argentina when his wife, Eliora Carmon, was killed along with 28 others when a suicide bomber drove a van packed with explosives and blew himself up in front of Israel’s embassy in Buenos Aires. The explosion destroyed the front of the building, causing the entire consulate and part of the attached embassy buildings to collapse.
Islamic Jihad, an organization affiliated with Hezbollah and with ties to the regime in Iran, claimed responsibility for the bombing.
The Iranian delegation experienced air raid sirens during Hamas’ rocket fire on Tel Aviv. On another occasion, they ran to shelters during Hezbollah’s barrage on Haifa when they were visiting the Israel Institute of Technology, Technion. The Institute is among the world’s top ten science and technology research universities.
Iranian-Canadian politician Golsa ‘Goldie’ Ghamari, an independent politician from Canada who has represented the Carleton riding in the Ontario Legislative Assembly since 2018, captured the event.
Before her political career, Ghamari practiced law, focusing on international trade law. She has also been vocal in her criticism of the Iranian regime and has expressed support for Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince of Iran.
The visit to the Serifin barracks near Israel’s northern borders featured on the Iranian group’s itinerary. At this facility, the Israeli army showcased various pieces of equipment and weaponry used by Hamas in its conflict with Israel.
Idan Sharon-Kettler, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), along with Kamal Penhasi, an IDF Persian speaking spokesperson, provided insights to visitors regarding how the Islamic Republic extends financial and military support to Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
Penhasi guided the Iranian delegation through showcased books and pamphlets that illustrated how the Islamic Republic indoctrinates Hamas forces, most of whom are Sunni Muslims. Several of these publications are associated with the ideologies of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic and advocate for Islamic fundamentalism in opposition to Jews.
The Iranian delegation also visited the Knesset at the invitation of the Israeli MP Sharren Haskel. They raised the “Sun and Lion flag” of Iran before the 1979 revolution alongside the flag of Israel on the grounds of the Knesset. Coming days after the Iranian regime’s missile attack on Israel on Oct. 1, Haskel described the meeting as “moving.”
Hamed Fard, a member of the Iranian delegation who met with Haskel, highlighted the friendship between the Iranian and Israeli peoples and clarified that the Islamic Republic does not represent the Iranian nation. He added that he emphasized the significant role of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi in helping the Iranian people overcome their struggles and establish a stable and peaceful government after the fall of the Islamic Republic.
Fard is an underground Iranian rapper who has gained international recognition for addressing social issues in Iran and the challenges faced by its people.
Meanwhile, Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, stated in an interview with NBC — part of which aired on Feb. 6 — that Iran has repeatedly addressed its provision of weapons to Palestinian groups.
“We send them weapons, train them, and empower them,” he said, adding: “There is some level of coordination, cooperation, consultation with other regional groups, and possibly some financial support as well.”
Following the events of Oct. 7, 2023, the Islamic Republic’s leadership, military, and political officials have consistently praised the operation. However, they have officially denied any involvement.
The delegation also included Katy Amiri Younesi, a distinguished Iranian-American attorney acknowledged for her proficiency in civil litigation and advocacy. Her legal practice encompasses various fields, such as entertainment, family law, personal injury, estate planning, and corporate disputes. She is renowned for her determination and commitment.
The Iranian delegation also met students from grades 9-11 studying diplomacy, history, and Persian at Begin High School in Rosh HaAyin. They spoke about their life stories and conveyed their hopes for peace, friendship between the two nations, and hope for a better future.
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