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Yazd, Iran - As I looked at the two hundred or so young cadets sitting on the floor of the prayer hall, all I could think of were my two boys, Eitan and Doron, who are about the same age as they. The previous day I visited the families of Iranian martyrs, boys who fell during the protracted war between Iran and Iraq. And while giving one's life in the service of one's country is often seen as a great honor, I do not share that feeling at all. So all I could say as I began my remarks was that, seeing how they are about the same age as my own boys, I wish for them and their families that they will not be martyrs but return home safe as soon as their service was over.
The Revolutionary Guard base in Yazd is right off the main road. I was informed the night before that I was to deliver a 7:30 a.m. lecture but no details were provided. That morning, as we were driving, I was told that I would need to leave my camera and phone behind because we were entering a military base. Then they told me that I would be speaking in front of cadets of the famed Iranian Revolutionary Guards, known in Iran as the "Sebah." I entered the prayer hall, accompanied by a translator and several reporters who escorted me throughout the trip, and we were greeted and led to a seat with a microphone. About 10 rows of young men seated 20-across were on the floor with their legs crossed and another hundred or so people in civilian clothes who were seated along the walls of the large hall.
Comment: Though Miko Peled speaks for many who see the pathological Israeli mindset for what it is, and works to address it, there are all too few with his knowledge, experience and fortitude to come out and say and do what he is.
Listen to the Behind the Headlines interview with Mr. Peled for more: Behind the Headlines: Israel massacres Palestinians (again) - Interview with Miko Peled