Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: Campus News

Media Credit: Brian Miller Trita Parsi, president and founder of the National Iranian-American Council, spoke to over 500 people Tuesday in Schofield Auditorium. Parsi focused on the relationship between the Middle East and the United States.

Religion has often been cited as a reason for conflict in the Middle East, but an expert in U.S.-Iran relations said the conflict between Iran and Israel is more geopolitical than ideological.

"The shifts between Iran-Israel relations coincide with geopolitical shifts - strategic shifts - not ideological shifts," said Trita Parsi, president and founder of the National Iranian-American Council. "It's a framing. It's a perspective on the conflict that is deliberately designed to prevent peace."

Parsi was a featured speaker for the 68th season of the UW-Eau Claire Forum and Artists Series. Nearly 500 people attended the lecture in Schofield Auditorium Tuesday, where his lecture focused on the relations between the Middle East and the United States.

Throughout the speech, Parsi provided background and context of Iranian, Israeli and American relations. According to Parsi, Israel and Iran have not been always enemies. Both were actually allies during the Cold War.

"Both Iran and Israel sensed a threat from the Soviets," Parsi said. "As a result, an extensive security collaboration emerged."

But when the Cold War was over, Parsi said Israel and Iran emerged as the two main nations in the Middle East, where their struggle for the region's power began.

After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran wanted to lead the Muslim world, Parsi said.

"By emphasizing Israeli enmity, Iran was hoping to develop a common denominator with the Arab world," he said.

In 2003, Iran tried to improve its relations with the U.S. by sending a proposal through the Swiss embassy, Parsi said. Through the proposal, Iran was willing to help the U.S. fight against terrorism to help stabilize Iraq, and they also proposed the recognition of Israel as a state.

But Parsi said the White House did not accept the proposal, and its reaction was "to reprimand the Swiss to deliver it in the first place."

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools