Menashe Amir
Encyclopedia
Menashe Amir is a long time Persian language
broadcaster on the Israel Radio International
, a channel of Kol Yisrael
(lit. "Voice of Israel"). He is a former head of the Israel Broadcasting Authority
's Persian language division. He is also a leading Iran
ian expert in Israel
and a chief editor of the Foreign Ministry
's Persian web-site.
, and made aliyah
(immigrated) to Israel in 1959. He has been working as a journalist
and a broadcaster
for over 50 years, and broadcasting to Iran for over 25 years. Amir became popular in Israel during his coverage of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis
. Currently retired from his post in the Israel Broadcasting Authority, he continues to host his radio program.
program in Persian, which is broadcast every evening to Iran on a shortwave
. The program includes a call-in portion, with Iranian listeners calling a special number in Germany
. While no hard data is available, the show is very popular in Iran and some expert estimate that up to 5 million Iranians listen to it. Beside political discussions, the program also broadcasts the music banned in Iran. Iranian newspapers often denounce the radio as the "Zionist regime radio", and rebuke the radio program assertions.
In the aftermath of the 2009 Iranian presidential election
, the Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed the "Zionist radio the bad British radio"
for misleading the public. This was widely interpreted as a reference to Menashe Amir's program on Kol Yisrael and a reference to BBC Persian
.
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
broadcaster on the Israel Radio International
Israel Radio International
Israel Radio International is the official international broadcasting station of Israel.Operating since 1955, the Voice of Israel's shortwave transmissions on Reshet hey broadcasts to the entire world. They are also the main link between Israel and the Jewish diaspora...
, a channel of Kol Yisrael
Kol Yisrael
Kol Yisrael is Israel's public domestic and international radio service, operated as a division of the Israel Broadcasting Authority.-History:...
(lit. "Voice of Israel"). He is a former head of the Israel Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority is Israel's state broadcasting network.It grew out of the radio station Kol Yisrael, which made its first broadcast as an independent station on . The name of the organisation operating Kol Yisrael was changed to Israel Broadcasting Service in 1951...
's Persian language division. He is also a leading Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian expert in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and a chief editor of the Foreign Ministry
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel)
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is one of the most important ministries in the Israeli government. The ministry's role is to implement Israel's foreign policy, and promote economic, cultural, and scientific relations with other countries....
's Persian web-site.
Biography
Menashe Amir was born and grew up in IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, and made aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
(immigrated) to Israel in 1959. He has been working as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and a broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
for over 50 years, and broadcasting to Iran for over 25 years. Amir became popular in Israel during his coverage of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
. Currently retired from his post in the Israel Broadcasting Authority, he continues to host his radio program.
Radio program at Kol Yisrael
Amir hosts a daily 1.5 hour radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
program in Persian, which is broadcast every evening to Iran on a shortwave
Shortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
. The program includes a call-in portion, with Iranian listeners calling a special number in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. While no hard data is available, the show is very popular in Iran and some expert estimate that up to 5 million Iranians listen to it. Beside political discussions, the program also broadcasts the music banned in Iran. Iranian newspapers often denounce the radio as the "Zionist regime radio", and rebuke the radio program assertions.
In the aftermath of the 2009 Iranian presidential election
Iranian presidential election, 2009
Iran's tenth presidential election was held on 12 June 2009, with incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad running against three challengers. The next morning the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's official news agency, announced that with two-thirds of the votes counted, Ahmadinejad had won the election...
, the Supreme Leader
Supreme Leader of Iran
The Supreme Leader of Iran is the highest ranking political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The post was established by the constitution in accordance with the concept of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists...
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed the "Zionist radio the bad British radio"
for misleading the public. This was widely interpreted as a reference to Menashe Amir's program on Kol Yisrael and a reference to BBC Persian
BBC Persian
BBC Persian is the Persian language radio station and TV operated by the BBC which conveys the latest political, social, economical and sport news relevant to Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, and the world. Its headquarters are in London, United Kingdom...
.
External links
- Interviews with Menashe Amir, on the IsraCast website