Between Tehran and Tel Aviv: A Summery Mini-Dialogue at Schillerplatz!

I’ve now been “stuck” on my family’s couch in #Düsseldorf for over two weeks – though with the loving care I’m getting, it’s more than bearable. My daily routine swings between peaceful summer days here in the Rhineland and hours of TV sessions – mostly Channel 12 Live from Israel. The contrast couldn’t be stronger: while kids play in the park and a local wine festival takes place, my screen is filled with nonstop rocket alerts, political talk shows, and war coverage on repeat.

In just such a Düsseldorf park – more precisely: at Schillerplatz – I recently met a friendly young student. We started talking about the situation in #Israel and the Middle East. At one point, he said:“If the Palestinians had simply been given their own state back then, Iran wouldn’t have any reason to attack Israel today.”

I had to take a deep breath. Suppress my emotions. Because while I sensed the naivety of his statement, I also recognized the honesty behind it – so I tried to respond as calmly and factually as possible.

I explained to him: Iranian Supreme Leader Ali #Khamenei, who holds both the highest political and religious authority in the country, does not see the destruction of Israel as a response to the occupation, but as a theological duty. On his official website, english.khamenei.ir, under the section on Palestine, it states unambiguously that Israel must not exist – for both religious and historical reasons.

According to the site, Israel is an illegitimate state on Islamic land and must be eliminated by all means. Judaism as a religion? No problem. But a Jewish state? Theologically unacceptable. According to Khamenei, the destruction of Israel is not merely a political goal, but a divine imperative – an act of purification that paves the way for the return of the hidden Imam Mahdi.

Anyone who thinks this is just symbolic rhetoric underestimates the ideological power of this belief – which also motivates groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and others.

My conversation partner understandably countered with a second argument:“That’s just a handful of fanatical leaders – you can’t generalize that to all Muslims!”And I agreed – not all leaders, and certainly not all #Muslims, share this apocalyptic ideology.But: there are too few influential voices in the Islamic world clearly speaking out against it. And the reality is: Israel often faces this threat quite alone, with real support coming mostly from the United States – because this motivation is still widely underestimated, especially in Europe.

At some point, the people of Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and among the Palestinians will need to take a stand and show that this is not the life they want to live.

Maybe – just maybe – a window for change is beginning to open!

You could feel that the conversation had reached a certain emotional weight. We summed it up with the usual phrases:“It’s all pretty complicated.”And: “Hopefully things will calm down soon.”He added that he’d really love to visit Israel one day. I offered to help him plan the trip.

He headed back to the wine stand – and I went back to figuring out my return flight home – to my country and my state: Israel.

#momentfromisrael #workshops #seminars