SHAI congratulates our 2012 SHAI Gala honoree and keynote speaker, Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran, on his trip to Israel. Reza Pahlavi traveled to Israel carrying messages of peace and friendship from the Iranian people, as he continued traditions dating back to Cyrus the Great. “The Iranian and Jewish people have ancient bonds dating back to Cyrus the Great and Queen Esther. As the children of Cyrus, the Iranian people aspire to have a government that honors his legacy of upholding human rights and respecting religious and cultural diversity, including through the restoration of peaceful and friendly relations with Israel and Iran’s other neighbors in the region,” said Reza Pahlavi. “Millions of my compatriots still recall living alongside their Jewish-Iranian friends and neighbors before the Islamic Revolution tore apart the fabric of our society. They reject the regime’s genocidal anti-Israel and anti-Semitic policies and yearn for cultural, scientific, and economic exchange with Israel. A democratic Iran will seek to re-establish ties with Israel and our Arab neighbors perhaps as part of a future Cyrus Accords. In my view, that day is closer than ever.”