24 April, 2006
While Iran repeatedly threatens to destroy Israel, it recently hosted experts from its arch enemy to help rehabilitate areas devastated by earthquakes, an Israeli newspaper reported on Sunday. The services of the three unnamed men, employees of a Tel Aviv based company, were requested by Tehran through a Dutch contracting company which is itself partly owned by an Israeli, the daily newspaper "Yediot Aharonot" has reported. The experts examined ways to reinforce certain infrastructures, such as bridges, roads, sewage and pipes which had been destroyed in the massive earthquake which struck south-east Iran in late 2003. Iran and Israel had close economic ties before the 1979 Islamic revolution, with Israeli companies playing a central role in the construction of Iran's modern infrastructure. "We arrived there with blueprints which are still in Israel. Several years ago we were instructed by then infrastructure minister Ariel Sharon to hand the Iranians parts of the Israeli infrastructure plans there following an earthquake," one of the experts was quoted as saying by the newspaper. The three Israelis, who had deposited their passports in the Netherlands and were given special laissez-passer which did not disclose their nationality, were received and hosted by Iranian officials, the report said. During their visit, the experts visited and celebrated the Jewish festival of Passover with members of Tehran's Jewish community.
