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When It Comes to Iran’s Rulers, There Can Be No Dialogue

Artwork depicting Mahsa Amini that will be featured in new murals being unveiled in Israel. Photo: Hooman Khalili

JNS.org – Two years have passed since the murder of Jina (“Mahsa”) Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman, at the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s morality police. Amini was brutalized and killed for allegedly wearing her hijab, or head-covering, improperly—the sort of “crime” that sends a backward theocracy apoplectic with rage. Her death sparked the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, the latest and perhaps most significant wave of protest among the millions of ordinary Iranians who have been clamoring for regime change for well over a decade, but who have so far been unable to dislodge the ruling mullahs.

Those ruling mullahs duly rolled into New York City last week to attend the U.N. General Assembly. Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, addressed a gathering largely dominated by Third World kleptocrats, and various Russian and Chinese stooges, on the same day as Turkey, Jordan, South Africa and Qatar did the same—all of whom delivered viciously anti-Israel speeches laced with antisemitic tropes from the General Assembly podium. Pezeshkian’s remarks stuck rigidly to his regime’s talking points, among them the conspiracy theory that ISIS was created by Israel; that Iran’s proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen are “popular liberation movements”; and, most laughably of all, the contention that Iran only “seeks to safeguard its own security, not to create insecurity for others. We want peace for all and seek no war or quarrel with anyone.”

The fate of Amini and the thousands of protesters who followed in her wake went unmentioned. Rather inconveniently, around the time that Pezeshkian was extolling Iran’s peaceful nature, Reuters broke the story that the Iranians have been mediating secret talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime and the Houthis with the aim of supplying the latter with Russian-made Yakhont missiles to continue their attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. But this, too, passed unnoticed and unmentioned at the U.N. circus, where the only “rogue state” judged worthy of that appellation is the State of Israel.

Outside the environs of the General Assembly, the Iranian delegation conducted some public diplomacy, hosting a meeting of religious figures that included a smattering of Jewish attendees. Contrary to the assessment of the correspondent of Israel’s liberal Haaretz newspaper, this wasn’t remotely “surprising.” With the predictability of the earth revolving around the sun, at every General Assembly, a delegation of the anti-Zionist Neturei Karta sect dutifully meets with the Iranians at whichever Manhattan hotel they happen to be staying at. Whether we should consider Jews who traffic in Holocaust distortion, and who spend every Jewish Sabbath in the ranks of the Hamas mob that devotes its weekends to demonstrating in favor of Israel’s elimination, to be Jews in the sense that the vast majority of us understand the term is beyond the scope of this week’s column. What matters for these purposes is that this year was no different from past years.

More noteworthy was the presence of an Israeli—Lior Sternfeld, a professor of history and Jewish studies at Pennsylvania State University—at that “dialogue.” Sternfeld is hardly the first Israeli to have met with representatives of the Islamic Republic, despite the impression conveyed by the media coverage of this encounter; to cite one example, Moti Maman, a 73-year-old Israeli businessman who went on trial in Israel last week charged with plotting terrorist actions and assassinations on Tehran’s behalf, traveled to Iran on at least two occasions. I’m not suggesting that Sternfeld was being recruited to carry out similar work, but whether he realizes it or not, he has become a useful propaganda tool for the Iranians, gushing following his meeting with Pezeshkian, “Are there new faces in Iran? The answer is yes.” Sternfeld would have us believe, on the basis of a choreographed encounter, that Pezeshkian is a genuine moderate who wants to orchestrate a deal that would secure the release of the 101 Israeli hostages still languishing in Hamas captivity in Gaza. But literally everything that Iran’s current rulers say and do—domestically, regionally and globally—flies in the face of that conclusion.

The overriding point is this: More than anything else, the U.N. General Assembly projects a worldview in which pretty much every member state is law-abiding, peace-loving and respectful of human rights—with the exception of Israel. So it’s not exactly shocking that Iran slides with ease into those parameters, as do other states like Turkey, which over the last century has conducted genocides against Armenians and Kurds, and Qatar, where just 10% of the population are fully-fledged citizens, and the remainder are disenfranchised slaves and domestic servants imported from developing countries. If some on the Jewish left aspire to be accepted in these circles, then that, frankly, is their funeral. Let them conduct their “dialogue.” Doing so won’t liberate a single hostage nor persuade Israelis that they are the wronging party and not the wronged.

After all, the vast majority of Jews who identify as Zionists and pray fervently for an Israeli victory in the present multi-front war also have partners and sympathizers. The Iranian people, who risk the death penalty every time they defy their regime by chanting that the cause of Gaza is not their cause. The Kurds, who know better than anyone the brutality of Arab domination and Arab colonization of their homeland. The other religious minorities of the Middle East—from the Yazidis of Iraq to the Christians of Lebanon and Egypt, who reject the misery of life in a state ruled by Islamic Shari’a law. They are our partners in conversation and in the broader project of reconstructing the Middle East as an open society.

We don’t need to engage with Pezeshkian and his cohorts, nor do we seek their approval. What we seek is their overthrow. And I’m willing to bet, as we approach a New Year that will hopefully be kinder and gentler than the previous year, that a decade from now, Israel will still be thriving, and that it is the mullahs who are far more likely to have been consigned to the past. With that in mind, as we gear up for the struggles and battles of the coming months, allow me to sign off with a heartfelt Shanah Tovah.

The post When It Comes to Iran’s Rulers, There Can Be No Dialogue first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Mounting Evidence Reveals Al Jazeera ‘Journalist’ Anas Al-Sharif’s Extensive Hamas Ties

Journalists and media workers protest after Al-Jazeera personnel killed in Gaza, in Barcelona, Spain, Aug. 13, 2025. Photo: Marc Asensio/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect

Evidence has emerged that Anas al-Sharif, one of Al Jazeera Arabic’s most prominent correspondents in Gaza, may have operated as a political operative for Hamas prior to and during the Palestinian terrorist group’s ongoing war with Israel.

Records and public footage indicate al-Sharif worked on a Hamas-linked media team before joining Al Jazeera, maintained ties with senior Hamas leadership, and was singled out by anti-Hamas protesters in March 2025 as part of the group’s ruling establishment.

The Israel Defense Forces claimed that al-Sharif, who was killed on Aug. 10 along with four colleagues in an Israeli airstrike near Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital, was “the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and advanced rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops.” IDF international spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani added on X that Israel obtained intelligence showing al-Sharif was “an active Hamas military wing operative at the time of his elimination” and even received a salary from the terrorist group.

The IDF released photographs it said showed him with Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Khalil al-Hayya, and others, as well as a guest at Hamas gatherings, including some before his current rise to prominence since 2023.

The BBC noted that al-Sharif had worked directly on a Hamas-affiliated media team before the war. This background helped position him to become one of Al Jazeera’s most recognizable Gaza correspondents, ultimately earning him the moniker “The Voice of Gaza” on the network.

According to recently surfaced court documents, al-Sharif allegedly praised Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, the day the terrorist group invaded southern Israel, killed 1,200 people, and kidnapped 251 hostages while perpetrating widespread sexual violence.

“Nine hours and the heroes [of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades and other fighters] are still roaming through the houses [of Israelis] killing and capturing,” he allegedly said in a pro-Hamas Telegram group. “God, God, how great they are!” The post has been widely circulated in pro-Israel media, although The Algemeiner could not independently confirm their authenticity.

During anti-Hamas protests in March 2025, video from northern Gaza showed demonstrators calling on al-Sharif by name while they were denouncing Hamas leaders. Protesters outside the al-Shifa hospital also criticized al-Sharif and Al Jazeera for what they described as a refusal to cover the outbreak of grassroots demonstrations across the enclave, with slogans including “Hamas, out!” and “Hey, hey, Hamas are terrorists.” As a major protest commenced outside, al-Sharif and his team remained inside the hospital, refusing to give the demonstrations airtime — a decision critics said aligned with Al Jazeera’s narrative that Hamas retained popular support and legitimacy.

Al Jazeera correspondents have previously received privileged access to Hamas military infrastructure. In one case, correspondent Mustafa Ashour was granted an exclusive tour of Hamas’s tunnels alongside military commanders — access denied to other media.

Other Gaza-based reporters, including Hussam Shabat, have been killed by Israeli strikes that the IDF says targeted militants with dual media roles.

Open-source social media accounts have circulated claims from a Gaza Telegram channel allegedly affiliated with the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades urging residents not to mourn al-Sharif, alleging he had provided internal security with information on anti-Hamas dissidents for arrest or elimination. While no corroborating evidence has yet been made public, the practice has precedent: In March 2020, journalist Hind Khoudary publicly doxxed peace activist Rami Aman to Hamas officials after he participated in a Zoom call with Israelis. A man was later arrested and tortured by Hamas internal security. Khoudary has gone on to work for Al Jazeera English since the start of the war.

In one of his last statements, al-Sharif appeared to criticize Hamas negotiators, saying they bore partial responsibility for the worsening situation in northern Gaza.

International outlets including the BBC, CNN, and Sky News condemned the killing as part of what they described as Israel’s pattern of targeting journalists. Israel maintains that al-Sharif was a legitimate military target due to his alleged operational role in Hamas.

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Belgian Politician Sparks Outrage by Refusing Rosh Hashanah Greeting Amid Rising Antisemitism

Matthias Diependaele, Minister‑President of Flanders, has faced backlash after declining to send a Rosh Hashanah message to Belgium’s Jewish community. Photo: Screenshot

A senior Belgian politician has sparked outrage by refusing to send a Jewish New Year message, amid a growing climate of hostility toward Jews and Israelis in Europe, where antisemitic attacks continue to rise.

Earlier this week, Matthias Diependaele, Minister‑President of Flanders — the Dutch-speaking region in northern Belgium — was asked by the Belgian Jewish newspaper The Centrale to provide a Rosh Hashanah message.

However, the newspaper received a message from Diependaele’s office declining the request.

“After internal deliberation, we regret to inform you that, given the current situation and sensitivities concerning the tensions in the Middle East, we cannot follow up on your request,” the statement read.

“Anything that bears even the slightest connection to this conflict is being closely monitored and examined under a magnifying glass. For that reason, we do not deem it opportune to go into this any further,” it continued.

According to the Jewish newspaper, requesting a Rosh Hashanah greeting from Belgium’s leaders for the country’s Jewish citizens has been a long-standing tradition.

“This year, even that became radioactive,” The Centrale wrote.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, will take place in late September this year.

Shortly after the newspaper published Diependaele’s response, which drew widespread outrage from Belgium’s Jewish community and leaders, the politician rejected claims of antisemitism and attempted to revise his earlier statement.

“My refusal is purely based on the principle that, for more than 15 years in my role as a representative of the people, I have not supported religious activities,” Diependaele wrote in a new letter sent to The Centrale.

“I have also never accepted invitations for the Eid. I have also never taken part in a Te Deum for Catholics,” the Belgian politician continued. “By this I am in no way passing judgment on any religion or on the people who practice it. It is, however, my conviction that no religion — including my own — has any role to play in the exercise of my mandate.”

However, the paper rejected Diependaele’s new letter, arguing that his shift from “too sensitive right now” to a “timeless principle” was an attempt to mask his initial fear of public backlash.

The World Jewish Congress sharply criticized Diependaele’s actions, denouncing it as a clear act of antisemitism.

“Holding Jews in the Diaspora collectively accountable for the actions of Israel – is antisemitic. To be a political leader, and to refuse to acknowledge the traditions and culture of your country’s Jewish community – because of Israel – is antisemitic,” the organization said in a statement.

“What transpired is quite clear: A political leader declined to acknowledge their Jewish citizens because of Israel and the perceived public backlash about engaging with Jews,” it continued.

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Israeli Hostage Families Sue ICC Prosecutor, Accuse Him of Aiding Hamas

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters in The Hague, Netherlands, Feb. 12, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

Families of three hostages still being held in Gaza by Hamas have filed a lawsuit against Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing him of aiding the Palestinian terror group and obstructing justice.

On Wednesday, Israeli NGO Shurat HaDin, led by attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, announced a lawsuit worth NIS 20 million (about $5.9 million) on behalf of the families of Avinatan Or, Eitan Mor, and Omri Miran.

“The International Criminal Court has become a branch of Hamas. Through [Khan’s] direct actions, he gave an enormous tailwind to the terrorist murderers,” Darshan-Leitner, founder and president of Shurat HaDin, said in a statement.

The lawsuit accuses Khan of turning the ICC into “a branch office” of Hamas, the terrorist group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades, and calls for him to be investigated for allegedly acting against Israel to divert attention from sexual misconduct claims against him.

It also accuses Khan of undermining Israel, deceiving the plaintiffs, and providing support to terrorist organizations.

“The blood libels the defendant wove against the State of Israel and its leaders, by creating a false moral equivalence between the State of Israel – the victim – and the terrorists who hold the hostages and abuse them daily, granted legitimacy to the terrorists to continue extorting Israel while holding and abusing the hostages,” the lawsuit says about Khan.

According to the lawsuit, Khan failed for eight months to issue arrest warrants for senior Hamas leaders behind the Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught on Israel, including Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, and Ismail Haniyeh.

Even then, he opted not to pursue other figures from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, an allied terrorist group in Gaza, directly responsible for taking hostages.

In this way, the lawsuit argues that Khan drew a false moral equivalence between a democratic state defending itself and terrorist groups killing civilians, while delaying action, deflecting responsibility, and providing political cover to Hamas.

“We will not allow international courts to turn into sanctuaries for terror. We will not let them rewrite history. We will not stay silent while justice is hijacked,” the Israeli NGO said in a post on X.

In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and now-deceased Hamas terror leader Ibrahim al-Masri (better known as Mohammed Deif) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.

Khan initially made his surprise demand for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on the same day in May that he suddenly canceled a long-planned visit to both Gaza and Israel to collect evidence of alleged war crimes. The last-second cancellation reportedly infuriated US and British leaders, as the trip would have offered Israeli leaders a first opportunity to present their position and outline any action they were taking to respond to the allegations.

However, the ICC said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for starvation in Gaza and the persecution of Palestinians — charges vehemently denied by Israel, which has provided significant humanitarian aid into the enclave during the war.

Israel also says it has gone to unprecedented lengths to try and avoid civilian casualties, despite Hamas’s widely acknowledged military strategy of embedding its terrorists within Gaza’s civilian population and commandeering civilian facilities like hospitals, schools, and mosques to run operations and direct attacks.

US and Israeli officials have issued blistering condemnations of the ICC move, decrying the court for drawing a moral equivalence between Israel’s democratically elected leaders and the heads of Hamas, which launched the ongoing war in Gaza with its invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

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