Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday expressed his hope that the Iranian and Israeli people could work together to secure a peaceful future for both nations, saying in a video message, “We are your friend, not your enemy.”

After acknowledging Iran’s “proud history” and “rich culture,” Netanyahu expressed sympathy for everyday Iranians “shackled by a theocratic tyranny.”

I know you’d prefer to live without fear. I know you’d want to be able to speak freely, to love who you want without the fear of being tortured or hung from a crane. I know you’d like to surf the Web freely and not have to see videos like this one using a virtual private network to circumvent censorship.

The prime minister also referenced the 2009 Green Revolution, when Iranians protested an election that was widely believed to have been fraudulent.

I’ll never forget the images of brave young students hungry for change gunned down in the streets of Tehran in 2009; and I’ll never forget beautiful Neda Sultan gasping for her last breath on that sidewalk.

This ruthless regime continues to deny you your freedom. It prevents thousands of candidates from competing in elections. It steals money from your poor to fund a mass murderer like Assad.

Netanyahu acknowledged the regular calls by Iranian leaders for Israel’s destruction, calling them “wrong” and an effort “to instill hostility between us.” He distinguished between the theocratic regime, which he called “cruel,” and the Iranian people, whom he described as “warm.”

“I yearn for the day when Israelis and Iranians can once again visit each other freely in Tehran and Esfahan, in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv,” Netanyahu concluded. “Our two peoples can work together for a more peaceful and hopeful future for both of us. We must defeat terror and tyranny and we must ensure that freedom and friendship win the day.”

[Photo: IsraeliPM / YouTube ]