Israel's Persian spokesperson: 'Sometimes, words are more important than missiles' - interview

• Published date: 11 March 2024
• Author: OHAD MERLIN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

"It all happened during a very formative phase [for me]. It's an age when you want to grow and flourish, but the regime just won't let you. They want you to be a 'robot of the regime.'"

He was only 15 when he fled Iran with his family. "For almost eight years, we suffered from persecution and antisemitism, which was bubbling under the surface for a long time but then exploded." Sabti argued that the chants by Iranian leaders calling "death to Israel" – and the regime's missile project and nuclear program – all stem from antisemitism.

After suffering much persecution and harassment, Sabti and his family fled Iran by foot, arriving in Israel through Europe.

Three years later, he enlisted in the IDF in the Intelligence Corps and was in the Iranian field for years. When he was released, he set foot in the academic world, with similar interests.

He also helped establish the IDF Spokesperson Unit's Persian department. "At first, we were only posting content on social media platforms, but today you see faces. Iranians must get to know us so that they understand our mindset and our needs; the Jewish people's need for a state. Iran has existed for 2,500 years; they hardly understand what we are fighting for. Many Iranians are eager to hear about Israel in Persian – in their own language."

Nowadays, Sabti is a researcher in the Iran program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) think-tank. Lately, he has been serving as the government's spokesperson in Persian.

"Sometimes words are more important than deeds, missiles and iron," he said. "If we understand the other side, their weaknesses, what bothers them and influences them – we can influence them to put down their weapons and shift to dialogue."

Even before taking the position, Sabti was interviewed regularly by Iranian expatriate networks. "The regime itself admits that 70-75% of the Iranian public watches the expatriate channels, including on social media, rather than the Iranian regime's outlets," he revealed. "Few watch the regime's channels. There are some laughable pictures of government employees' residences with satellite dishes on the balconies – meaning, even the government employees watch foreign channels."

What is the difference between speaking for the IDF, versus the government?

"Military talk is more about dry, technical things: exposés, armament transfers. It's very concrete, dry, and informative. It's all important, but from what I've seen, Iranians want to be exposed to the...