Between "Eskimo Lemon" and the Revolutionary Guards | Opinion column

Alex, the hero of the movie "Lovesick Alex," used to mock the character played by Yosef Shiloah, the Persian with the strange accent. For example, instead of "Iran," he said "Iraun." We laughed at that accent, and it continues to make us laugh even today when we hear stand-up comedian Avner Dan's imitations.

A long time has passed since the screening of the films "Lemon Eskimo" and "Love Sick." How did this amusing accent, of the people of the country of the singer Rita, suddenly take on such fateful significance in our lives? In the past, we mainly knew stigmas: that the Persian is stingy, or that he has the best carpets in the world and sells them the cheapest. How? To understand this, you need to get to know the Asian peoples, who have adapted unique thought patterns and, above all, high skills in negotiating.

World history seems to teach us an important lesson about the power of a people. In Hungary, for example, dictator Viktor Orbán ruled for years, doing things his own way, changing laws and the constitution as he pleased, and being beloved by some leaders around the world but hated by many in his own country.

In Poland, the Law and Justice Party (PiS) has done to the judicial system for years what the coalition is trying to do to us in Israel, it has constantly belittled, mocked and harassed the judges. But the Polish people are fed up with dictatorship and in the last elections threw the PiS party into the dustbin of history. Although its people promise to return, and the religious radio (Radio Maryja) still broadcasts songs of praise to the right, recently the Polish people have chosen change.

What about us? There is a leader, once handsome and with impressive speaking skills in Hebrew and English, who is trying to recreate what his former friends did in Hungary and Poland.

To understand the current situation, it is worth recalling several points in Iran's history. During World War II, American and British forces entered the country for war purposes. When Shah Reza Khan rebelled against them, the British forced him to abdicate and exiled him. In his place, they installed his young and beloved son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was happy to accept the role of Shah.

At that time, a military force of Polish refugees was organized in the Soviet Union, called the "Anders Army" after its commander, General Władysław Anders. With the consent of the Allies, the army passed through Iran and Iraq to Palestine (Eretz Israel). With them came the "Children of Tehran", Jewish children who had thus escaped the Holocaust. The Polish army remained in the country for some time, and some of the Jewish soldiers who served in it, including the famous Menachem Begin, deserted and remained in the country to fight for the establishment of the state. Anders' army continued from there to Italy and won an impressive victory in capturing the fortress of Monte Cassino.

About 50 years ago, Shah Pahlavi faced a huge civil uprising by the people, whose economic situation was dire. Most Iranians believed that overthrowing the Shah would bring prosperity. Religious, secular factions, and communist parties united to free themselves from the hedonistic king. The one who took advantage of this and incited the people was Ayatollah Khomeini. He led the uprising from his refuge in France, where he was protected by the French authorities. Khomeini broadcast venomous words against liberals, leftists, and Zionists. The rest is known: the Shah fled to Egypt, and Khomeini took control of Iran with brutality and eliminated all his opponents.

About five decades have passed since then. Iran has become a military and technological power with an extremist religious orientation, spreading hatred and threats towards the Sunni states, the US and Israel. Do all Iranians hate Israel? Probably not. Many oppose the oppressive regime that has executed thousands of political opponents, but they are weak and terrified. Khomeini established the "Revolutionary Guards", a kind of brutal executive arm that suppresses all opposition, using methods of education and brainwashing from a young age, reminiscent of dark regimes from the previous century.

Many regime opponents who have fled to the West dream of overthrowing the regime and restoring the monarchy headed by the crown prince, the Shah's son, who resembles his father as two drops of water. These exiles have found refuge in Western countries, and they are trying to convince the world that the Iranian people yearn for freedom and are ready for revolution at any moment; all they have to do is give the appropriate signal. The match for the revolution has indeed been ignited several times in popular protests, but the great conflagration has not come, either because of the paralyzing fear of the Revolutionary Guards, or because an entire generation has already been trained for 50 years to live under radical Islam.

And here now, radio and television stations frequently host "experts" on Iranian affairs who broadcast directly to our brains...

We in Israel have almost been convinced by those Iranian immigrants, "clown commentators" with Persian accents, who announce in the media and assure us that the ayatollah regime will automatically collapse and Iran will become our friend.

Do me a favor, dear commentators, go play "Eretz Nehederet" yourselves, not your imitators, for the good of all of us.