Iran:

Capital- Tehran
Official languages- Persian
Religion: Islam (Shia)
Government de jure: Islamic Republic
Govt. de facto: Theocratic-republican hybrid
Supreme Leader: Ali Khamenei
President: Hassan Rouhani
Total Area: 1,648,195 km2
Israel & Iran: Diplomatic relations

Israel and Iran are far from having the strategic partnership they once had sixty years ago.
The shift in policy Israel had towards Iran started when Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
started using harsher language towards Iran. Although he knew of the historic past between
these two countries, he wanted to make known to the rest of the world that he did not approve
of the leadership and policies of Iran.
Benjamin Netanyahu has continued with the same policy approach and does not have any
ambition of trying to revive Israels strategic relationship with Iran.
One of the reasons Israel and Iran were once allies was because they are both non-Arab
countries in the Middle East.
Throughout Irans history, and up to the 1970s, there was a significant Jewish population living
in Iran. The Jews of Iran embedded themselves into Persian culture. The safety of Jews living in
Iran was one of the main reasons Israel continued their strategic partnership with Iran for as
long as they did after the rise of Khomeini. However, the Jewish population living in Iran today
makes up less than one percent of Irans total population.
Recently there has been a change in dynamic regarding the United States relationship with
Israel and Iran. The United States relationship with Israel has become tense over the past
several years. While the U.S. is Israels strongest supporter of economic and military aid, they
have had less influence in persuading Israel to negotiate with their neighbors. Now the United
States is willing to negotiate with Iran regarding their nuclear program. This has led Israel to
wonder if the United States is shifting its focus away from Israel and trying to form better
alliances with other countries in the region.
The Millennial generation offers a glimmer of hope that relations between Israel and Iran could
improve. Israel views Iran via their proxies, such as Hezbollah. No longer aiding Hezbollah is a
priority for the Millennials of Iran.
Regarding humanistic values, Millennials of both Israel and Iran want a future where they feel
safe, secure from internal and external threats and have a sense of hope for the future. They
approach these goals from different angles.
The Millennial generation of Israel could be described as an Adaptive generation because they
have grown up in nothing but war and fear. Israeli Millennials find their answer in security by
electing leaders who take a hard stance on security issues, such as Benjamin Netanyahu. They are
aware of their outside threats such as proxy groups such as Hezbollah. Until Israel no longer feels
threated from Hezbollah, Millennials have no intention of trying to rebuild their relationship with
Iran.

Israels view on Iran as a threat:

Once Israel and Iran no longer had a common enemy of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Israel
began seeing Iran as a regional threat as it strengthened its relationship with Hezbollah and
Hamas who were security threats to Israel.
 In addition to increased threats and conflicts from Hezbollah and Hamas, Israel also became
threatened by the rise of Iranian President Ahmadinejad in 2005 along with the rise of the
Iranian Revolutionary Guards and their anti-Israeli ideology.
Israel also feared that Iran could take advantage of the unrest in the Middle East that
resulted from the Arab Spring in 2011.
Irans nuclear program started to become a concern for some in Israel Intelligence in the
1990s. At this time Israel Prime Minister Rabin believed that it would take Iran 10-15 years
for Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. Irans nuclear program at this time was not on Israels
immediate radar. However there was a division among Israeli security officials on how to
handle relations with Iran. There were some Israeli security officials who believed that
Israel could benefit from a limited rapprochement with Iran. However Israeli policy
rejected any notion from moderate conservative leaders from Iran, such as President
Khatami.
It was not until Saddam Hussein was removed from power in Iraq in 2003 that Iran became
an immediate concern for Israel. It was during the 2000s that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon took Irans nuclear program as a threat. Iran was also becoming more of a threat to
the Arab-Israel peace negotiations because of their involvement with proxy groups.
The strategy of regional hegemony pursued by Iran is the primary strategic influence in this region. The
Iranian threat with its four components- the nuclear project, the support for terrorism, the attempts to
undermine pragmatic Arab regimes, and the ideological-theological threat-remains at the core of Israels
foreign policy agenda.
Israel fears that if Iran acquired nuclear capabilities, Iran would find a way to use it against
Israel. One of the ways in which Israel fears Iran would use its new nuclear capabilities
would be through Hezbollah.
Israel also believes that it could lead to nuclear proliferation within the Middle East.
Israels fear of Iran obtaining a nuclear bomb also aligns with their alarm of Irans ideological
threats that are made towards Israel. This includes President Ahmadinejads numerous
claims of threatening to wipe Israel off the face of the map.