if Iran's FM turns out to be right. Don't you realize anyone can read the Book of Esther? Or you could just read the article you linked to:
............... The Iranian foreign minister brushed off this assertion of modern-day genocidal intent, and endeavored to correct the Israel's prime minister on Jewish scripture while he was at it:It is unfortunate that Mr. Netanyahu now totally distorts realities of today. He even distorts his own scripture. If-- if you read the book of Esther, you will see that it was the Iranian king who saved the Jews.
That's technically true, but incredibly misleading.
Briefly, for those of you who didn't go to Hebrew or Sunday school: the Book of Esther is about a Jewish girl, Esther, who marries the Persian King Ahasuerus after he angrily disposes of his last queen, Vashti. Ahasuerus' chief advisor, Haman, was a nasty anti-Semite. After Esther's cousin Mordecai refuses to bow to him, Haman draws up a plan to kill all of the Jews in Persia — one that Ahasuerus initially approves. At the last minute, Esther reveals her previously secret Jewish identity, and asks the king to spare her people. Ahasuerus agrees, Haman is hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, and the Jewish people are saved.
So yes, it is technically true that the Persian king saved the Jews — but only because he called off a genocide that his own government was planning.
.............. |
