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Iranian Jewish MP dismissive of Netanyahu, senators' letter

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Siamak Moreh Sedgh shares his thoughts on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress and the letter sent by US senators to the Iranian leadership.

Iranian Jewish MP Siamak Moreh Sedq (L) and schoolboys read prayers during a demonstration in front of the United Nation's building in Tehran on November 19, 2013 in support of Iran's nuclear program and Iranian negotiators on the eve of the new round of nuclear talks with world powers in Geneva. Talks are scheduled to restart on November 20, as the P5+1 group aims to convince Iran to roll back its work that Western power suspect is masking a military nuclear drive in exchange for some sanctions relief. AFP
Iranian Jewish MP Siamak Moreh Sedgh (L) and schoolboys read prayers during a demonstration in front of the United Nations building in Tehran, Nov. 19, 2013. — BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images

In a phone interview with Al-Monitor, Siamak Moreh Sedgh, the only Jewish representative in the Iranian Majles, said that synagogues in Iran are the safest in the world and pointed out that during World War II, Iran was a refuge for Polish and other Jews fleeing Europe. He does not like to be associated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that Netanyahu is not the representative of world Jewry. Moreh Sedgh openly protested against the Holocaust cartoon contest held during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. 

Moreh Sedgh is a former head of the Tehran Jewish Committee, and today, in addition to being a parliamentarian, he works as a doctor and is also the director of the Dr. Sapir Hospital and Charity Center in Tehran. During the interview, Moreh Sedgh also spoke about the letter sent by 47 US senators to the Iranian leadership about any possible nuclear agreement and Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on the same issue.

Al-Monitor:  Forty-seven US senators have sent a letter to the Iranian leadership warning them about the consequences of an agreement that is not approved by the US Congress. As a member of the Iranian parliament, what is your opinion regarding this letter?

Moreh Sedgh:  ​As a member of the Iranian parliament, I think it was unfortunate that this letter was sent. It is unfortunate that representatives of a country that thinks of itself as the greatest country in the world suffer from lack of general knowledge. We should tell the American public to be more careful with their votes. These senators have no idea about international laws, and they are apparently not familiar with their own constitution either! The people who composed this letter are not even slightly familiar with international laws and relations.

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