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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, shaking hands with anti-Zionist Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, during a conference questioning the Holocaust in Tehran last year. (Reuters)
Last update - 18:51 11/06/2007
Iran retells the story of Nazis and Israel on state television
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent

Iranian state television has begun airing a drama series that claims that the Jews reached Palestine because of persecution during World War II. The episodes aired thus far are in line with the Iranian government's official stance that the Israeli-Arab conflict is essentially a European problem and therefore Jews in Israel should return to their home countries in Europe.

The series, "A Zero Degree Turn" is aired weekly at prime time. So far six of its 22 installments have apparently been shown. It tells the story of a young Iranian named Habib Parsan, played by a well-known Iranian actor, Shihab Hassini, who goes to Paris to study at university before the war. He befriends a young Jewish woman by the name of Sarah Struk, who fears the growing strength of the Nazis in Germany. The two friends are very embarrassed when a group of students jeer Sarah after seeing the two together on a public bench.

So far the series shows considerable financial investment. It was filmed in Tehran, Budapest and Paris, and includes dozens of actors, some of whose voices are dubbed in Persian.
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The producers' stance on the Holocaust is not clear. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has has called the Holocaust a "myth," and the international Tehran conference on the Holocaust a few months ago included Holocaust deniers among the speakers.

The series mentions anti-Semitism. In one instance the character Schmidt, a German student, says the war was being forced on Germany, and adds that the Jews are the victims because "it is clear that the Jews have been in positions of economic power for the past 20 years." Sarah's father is killed during Kristallnacht, and her family worries about what the future holds for them.

It is important for the creators to emphasize that the emigration of European Jewry to Israel stemed from the Nazis, Europeans and certain Jews, and to leave out the role of Jewish philosophers. Sarah's uncle, Rabbi Weiss, rejects the call to emigrate to Palestine: "External pressures are trying to settle the Jews and the Muslims together, and it is impossible. The Jewish fate has always been complicated and difficult. The solution is not emigration to Arab countries, where there are Arab citizens."

In the episodes aired to date the fate of the family is unclear.

According to Amir Levy, director of the teleprocessing department of the
Satlink satellite company, who is following the series, the makers of the
series wish to relay a message that Iran has traditionally treated Jews well, as opposed to the racism and persecution they encountered in Europe. Levy says that other messages are emphasized as well, such as the claim that Iran is the cradle of civilization because ancient Persia and its philosophy predate Greek philosophy
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  1.   Sure, Iran is the cradle of compassion and understanding 02:29  |  akiva P 04/06/07
  2.   Iran may have been compassionate then 02:42  |  Sephira Williams 04/06/07
  3.   "A Zero Degree Turn" 02:47  |  Nadir 04/06/07
  4.   Wrong photo for this topic. 03:04  |  Omran 04/06/07
  5.   Iran and WWII 03:13  |  Daniel Abrams 04/06/07
  6.   Ahmadinejad "Holocaust a myth" would he be arrested in Europe? 03:14  |  PETER SM 04/06/07
  7.   MIRACLES WILL HAPPEN,PERSIANS WILL BECOME FRIENDS AND PROMOTE REB 03:14  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 04/06/07
  8.   Nadir -- you already know the answer 03:19  |  idf_sergeant 04/06/07
  9.   Correction for Nadir 03:24  |  joseph 04/06/07
  10.   what are we waiting for? 03:28  |  Paul 04/06/07
  11.   Nadir 03:38  |  akiva P 04/06/07
  12.   Okay So In What Episode Do The Iranians... 03:39  |  Yoram 04/06/07
  13.   "A Zero Degree Turn" 03:47  |  Sanam 04/06/07
  14.   Liars: Jews were badly treated till Sha`s Father 04:04  |  Semsem 04/06/07
  15.   Nadir #3 Half of Israelis refugees from Moslem countries 04:08  |  Laila 04/06/07
  16.   Rabbi Weiss 04:08  |  Matt 04/06/07
  17.   So what`s the problem? 04:13  |  Colin Wright 04/06/07
  18.   What are you complaining about 04:40  |  Ahmad 04/06/07
  19.   Acts of a Desperate Lunatic 04:45  |  Larry 04/06/07
  20.   answer to Sanam 13 05:05  |  Morteza 04/06/07
  21.   Brilliant Iranians. Iran 4, the rest of the world ZERO 05:20  |  Ben Bara 04/06/07
  22.   Larry you must feel real guilty 05:24  |  Afshin 04/06/07
  23.   Nadir we don`t want Arabs in Europe either 05:35  |  infidel 04/06/07
  24.   PERSIAN..Not Iran 05:49  |  Yoav 04/06/07
  25.   THE CONQUERING HORDES 05:54  |  Larry 04/06/07
  26.   Colin Wright don`t be jealous, use Viagra 05:59  |  infidel 04/06/07
  27.   Most Americans came from Europe, too 06:11  |  Garrick 04/06/07
  28.   Islamic Republic is illegitimate 06:23  |  guy 04/06/07
  29.   Colin Wright 06:38  |  Netanel 04/06/07
  30.   Rabbi Weiss 07:11  |  Bill 04/06/07
  31.   So much hate 07:14  |  Citizen 04/06/07
  32.   iran 07:29  |  rico 04/06/07
  33.   An insect playing with insecticide 08:11  |  Geos 04/06/07
  34.   do Persians really believe this BS? 08:17  |  Nechama 04/06/07
  35.   Iranian dissidents need help 08:35  |  Poo Reem 04/06/07
  36.   Let`s not forget why it`s called "Iran" 09:31  |  David Teich 04/06/07
  37.   Too bad that the "History Police" have no office in Iran 10:27  |  Natallie Durson 04/06/07
  38.   Iran retells. 10:27  |  David Nigel Braham 04/06/07
  39.   ahmadinadjab is soon falling down 11:01  |  michel 04/06/07
  40.   Competition announcement. Try your hand. 12:31  |  zmogus 04/06/07
  41.   It`s wrong that Jewish return is result of anti-Semitism 13:11  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 04/06/07
  42.   The Time Has Come... 13:28  |  Boozaglo 04/06/07
  43.   BEN BARRA..Jews have lived in Palestine continuously.Arabs 13:34  |  PETER SM 04/06/07
  44.   #37, "history is propaganda" 13:37  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/06/07
  45.   What is wrong with this film??? 13:53  |  A 04/06/07
  46.   "Smart" move by the Iranians - Israeli response needed !! 13:55  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/06/07
  47.   Dont demonize Iran....yet 14:02  |  Ronnie Wolman 04/06/07
  48.   Come On 14:21  |  Yosemite 04/06/07
  49.   Little goodwill - correction to my # 46 14:31  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/06/07
  50.   Both sides of the fence 15:13  |  TeamOfMonkeys.com 04/06/07
  51.   Watch this 15:16  |  Steven McWeinberger 04/06/07
  52.   Instead of going through the old rigmarole perhaps people should 15:20  |  lakshmi 04/06/07
  53.   Ronnie Wolman 15:39  |  Sarah 04/06/07
  54.   #28 Guy 15:44  |  Sarah 04/06/07
  55.   To Swiss (Dino) 16:02  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 04/06/07
  56.   It is not so strange that... 16:17  |  Edith 04/06/07
  57.   Sarah no need to demonize a whole people 16:30  |  Ronnie Wolman 04/06/07
  58.   So far so good. Let`s see how it ends. 16:42  |  Tosefta 04/06/07
  59.   Kiss my ass 16:58  |  me 04/06/07
  60.   Tosefta:God and Spielberg 17:01  |  Ronnie Wolman 04/06/07
  61.   Good treatment of Jews in Iran 17:03  |  Igor 04/06/07
  62.   Poor Journalism! The writer has not seen the show! 17:09  |  Toronto`s Finest 04/06/07
  63.   #57 Ronnie Wolman 17:14  |  Sarah 04/06/07
  64.   Perhaps this is better TV than crap currently available? 17:18  |  Pssd off American. 04/06/07
  65.   Sarah: Suggestions 17:41  |  Ronnie Wolman 04/06/07
  66.   You have the scheme (Ronnie Wolman #60) 17:55  |  Tosefta 04/06/07
  67.   #21 Ben (Shel) Bara 17:56  |  Itsik 04/06/07
  68.   #22 Afshin 18:01  |  Itsik 04/06/07
  69.   The Jews of Today 18:41  |  Bernie 04/06/07
  70.   Persia: When Even The Greeks Call You Cruel 18:45  |  Efox 04/06/07
  71.   # 55 Shlomo from Tel Aviv 18:55  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/06/07
  72.   A new art form... 18:58  |  Blogowitz