With Jews around the world beginning their celebration of Rosh Hashana, wishes for a sweet new year have come in from a surprising source:
As the sun is about to set here in #Tehran I wish all Jews, especially Iranian Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah. pic.twitter.com/tmaf84x7UR
— Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) September 4, 2013
That’s Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s new president.
it's his account, “@taffyakner: @lrozen @JeffreyGoldberg @HassanRouhani Account unverified.”
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) September 4, 2013
His Rosh Hashana tweet is a far cry from the sentiments expressed by his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Reactions across the Twitterverse are mixed, with many applauding Rouhani’s more “moderate” message to Jews:
Huge change in tone from Adhmadinejad MT @HassanRouhani: I wish all Jews, esp. Iranian Jews a blessed Rosh Hashanah pic.twitter.com/kIBgkbbO1i
— Richard Chambers (@newschambers) September 4, 2013
@HassanRouhani wow! I guess this is the first iranian president to say that! There mustt be some hope around the corner
— Imi (@ImanEzzatullah) September 4, 2013
This is really cool. MT @HassanRouhani I wish all Jews, especially Iranian Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah. pic.twitter.com/iWDzn34N9O
— Jenny Gold (@JennyAGold) September 4, 2013
https://twitter.com/EzraAmacher/status/375301336201719809
https://twitter.com/whacd/status/375281863293943808
No one can deny that is a very decent expression of good will. Impressed. @HassanRouhani
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) September 4, 2013
No one, huh? Actually, quite a few tweeters are at the very least skeptical of Rouhani’s sincerity:
https://twitter.com/SuPeR_MaRiO914/status/375284041228222464
@HassanRouhani @IvanCNN hmmm….what's he up to?
— Politichick (@Politi_Chick) September 4, 2013
I'm sure MT @HassanRouhani: As sun about to set in #Tehran I wish all Jews a blessed Rosh Hashanah. http://t.co/vsqhXOl3au
— Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) September 4, 2013
Sure ya do. RT @HassanRouhani As the sun is about to set here in #Tehran I wish all Jews, especially Iranian Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah.
— Ken Shepherd (@KenShepherd) September 4, 2013
Lol. From prez of Iran: @HassanRouhani: As the sun is about to set here in #Tehran I wish all Jews a blessed Rosh Hashanah
— Michael Garner (@MikeGarner9) September 4, 2013
I bet you do MT @HassanRouhani: I wish all Jews, especially Iranian Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah. pic.twitter.com/87V721TWgh
— David Pasch (@DavidPasch) September 4, 2013
Hassan Rouhani tweets at #Jews for a happy Rosh Hashanah? If he dropped his #Nuclear bomb business, I'm sure they'd have a nice year…
— Sofia Moray (@SofiaMoray) September 4, 2013
& I'm Margaret Thatcher MT “@HassanRouhani: As the sun is about to set here in #Tehran I wish all Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah"
— JAO (@TheHonorableJ) September 4, 2013
@lrozen @JeffreyGoldberg @HassanRouhani He'll be sending fireworks in a moment!
— ?? Yosef Kutner (@ynkutner) September 4, 2013
Others are just not feeling Rouhani. At all:
@DeidreZune @HassanRouhani Yeah sure you do you anti-Semitic, barbarous snake! How about treating Jews in Iran as full citizens vs dhimmis?
— Eric Swanson (@Swanny3210) September 4, 2013
Such a sweet, sweet genocidal man MT @HassanRouhani I wish all Jews, especially Iranian Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah.
— Adam Kredo (@Kredo0) September 4, 2013
https://twitter.com/NoahPollak/status/375286852364025856
Join the conversation as a VIP Member