Israel's ambassador to Azerbaijan, George Dick, said in a video he uploaded to Twitter that Iran's ambassador to the country threatened him with death. "The Iranian ambassador tweeted that I crossed a red line and that I will be buried by the Iranian people," said Dick, adding: "You can describe the thoughts that went through my head when I heard that Salman Rushdie had been stabbed. Iran said that he also crossed a red line, and it also threatened him with death."
Iran threatened me with death as well.
My thoughts on how to respond to Salman Rushdie's stabbing.
pic.twitter.com/SGcMBXgKr2
— George Deek (@GeorgeDeek) August 16, 2022
38-year-old Dick is a Christian Arab, and the first member of his community to serve as ambassador of the State of Israel.
He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2008 and in his previous positions served, among others, as the Deputy Ambassador to Nigeria and the Deputy Ambassador to Norway.
He used to tell how his grandparents fled to Lebanon during the War of Independence after they were told by Arab officials that the Jews would slaughter them if they stayed in their homes, but when the war ended they felt cheated and decided to return to their home in Jaffa instead of remaining refugees.
The first member of his generation to serve as Israel's ambassador.
George Dick (right), photo: Embassy of Israel in Azerbaijan
"Ask Salman Rushdie"
Dick also added in the video and said: "As someone who was directly threatened by an Iranian official just a few weeks ago, I urge you in the strongest possible way: take the threats of this murderous regime seriously. Don't let them scare you, but don't treat the threats as dismissive - not even for one second.
"They are threatening to kill atheists, political activists and anyone who disagrees with them. They have threatened to spread terror around the world, to destroy Israel, our democracy and our freedom. They mean it - just ask Salman Rushdie. So let's make sure this is the last stab in the name of modern hatred -Beinyemit, by standing together and confronting Iranian terrorism wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head."
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