Israel-Iran 'Love Fest' Turns Two-Way: Iranians Respond to Israeli Peace Call

Responding to an Israeli couple's online call for peace between Israel and Iran, which are exchanging war threats over Tehran's alleged clandestine nuclear weapons program, Iranians have started posting messages reciprocating the love.

The online initiative started by Israeli couple Ronny Edry and wife Michal Tamir, with the support from the students of Pushpin Mehina, a graphic designing preparatory school, has already received support of over 1,000 Israelis and Iranians.

In the blog, Israelovesiran.com, which carries posters spreading love in the region, Edry tells Iranians: To all the fathers, mothers, children, brothers and sisters, For there to be a war between us, first we must be afraid of each other, we must hate.

I'm not afraid of you, I don't hate you. I don't even know you. No Iranian ever did me no harm. I never even met an Iranian...Just one in Paris in a museum. Nice dude, Edry says in the blog.

I'm not an official representative of my country. I'm a father and a teacher. I know the streets of my town, I talk with my neighbors, my family, my students, my friends and in the name of all these people ...we love you. We mean you no harm. On the contrary, we want to meet, have some coffee and talk about sports.

Welcoming the Israeli initiative, Iranian citizens posted similar messages saying, My Israeli Friends, I don't hate you, I don't want war, Love (heart) Peace.

Dear Israeli Friends and World! Iranians love peace and we hate hate!...and we don't need any Nuclear Power to show it! one poster caption stated.

However, most of the Iranian messages had faces partly covered, believed to be over fears of upsetting the government, in the light of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's policy to avoid contact with Israelis altogether.

According to a Haaretz report, funny posters mimicking the peace initiative, referred to as the huge love fest, are doing the rounds on the Internet. In a mock poster, Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu says: Iranians I love you. I truly truly love you. It's my people I hate.

Citizens of both the nations have mostly welcomed the initiative. This is a wonderful initiative. Even if very idealistic, it's the right step in the right direction, an online user wrote in response to the peace call.

Amazing how much enmity can create politicians from both sides. Two countries, that don't have even common border, had never been in conflict, are on edge of war. I don't think in Israel or in Iran any normal person hates the other side, unless he is brainwashed by some religious or ideological non sense, another comment read.