After Soldier Taken Hostage, Killed, Iranians Tell Rouhani to Act More Like an Israeli Leader
by Joshua Levitt
After Iran failed to react to a Pakistani kidnapping and murder of an Iranian soldier, members of the global Iranian community took to social media to berate President Hassan Rouhani for not acting with the same integrity as Israeli leaders who worked for five years to free solider Gilat Shalit from terror group Hamas, the Jewish Chronicle reported.
One post on Facebook read: “Keep saying ‘Death to Israel’ but they freed 1,072 Palestinians in return for the release of one of their own,” referring to the barter deal that saved Shalit’s life.
Another said: “Yes, I admire Israel. The same Israel they have been wanting to wipe off the map. The same Israel who for five years tirelessly did everything to save one of its soldiers.”
The JC noted that most of the messages were posted abroad, but have been widely discussed in Iran, despite Facebook and Twitter being banned in the Islamic Republic, although both Rouhani and Supreme Leader Khamenei use the outlets to broadcast their opinions.