Iran,  Media

Khamenei acknowledges MEMRI’s work

Apparently annoyed at the Middle East Media Research Institute’s embarrassing habit of translating and disseminating the antisemitic, conspiracy-minded crap on Iranian state TV, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei took time from his ungracious response to Barack Obama’s Nowruz message in order to give a backhanded shout-out to MEMRI.

Khamenei said, “My advice to the American officials – to the president and to the others – is to think carefully about these things. Give it to someone to translate it for you – but don’t give it to the Zionists to translate.”

MEMRI, which was founded by Israelis and is headed by a former IDF intelligence officer, is routinely dismissed by those who don’t like what it does as a Zionist operation.

That Khamenei would take time from his speech to express his irritation at MEMRI is a sign of how uncomfortable he and other Middle Eastern rulers become when messages intended for internal consumption get broadcast to the world. So keep up the good work, MEMRI.