01In brief
The Israel Loves Iran campaign was a grassroots social-media movement that emerged in March 2012, founded by Israeli couple Ronny Edry and Michal Tamir, who used their graphic-design skills to address Iranian civilians during heightened fears of a possible war between the countries. Edry's initial image showed him holding his daughter, who held an Israeli flag, above the words "Iranians, we will never bomb your country. We love you." The image became the campaign's emblem as Israelis and Iranians exchanged messages online, and an Iranian Facebook activist subsequently promoted a petition supporting Edry and Tamir for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.
02Background
In early 2012, fears of military conflict between Israel and Iran were running high. Ronny Edry and his wife, Michal Tamir, founded the Israel Loves Iran campaign in March, applying their graphic-design backgrounds to imagery intended to present Israeli-Iranian relations in terms of friendship and shared humanity.[1]
Edry said that the positive posters were intended to change the relationship between the two countries through friendship, love, understanding, and peace.[2]
03Course of Events
Edry said he created the first campaign poster after overhearing a grocery-store conversation about the possibility of Israel being struck by 10,000 missiles per day.[2] Rather than answer the prospect with counter-rhetoric, he addressed Iranian civilians directly. The poster showed Edry holding his daughter, who held an Israeli flag, alongside the message: "Iranians, we will never bomb your country. We love you."[2]
The image became the focal point of an online exchange between Israelis and Iranians. In May 2012, Iranian Facebook activist Roya Mobasheri promoted an online petition supporting Edry and Tamir for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. She described the exchange as an example of ordinary people connecting despite governmental rhetoric about war.[3]
04A Separate One Wish for Iran Project
A separate peace-messaging initiative with a similar theme, the "One Wish for Iran, Love Israel" video project, was created by a team led by Joseph Shamash, a 2003 Taglit-Birthright Israel alumnus who returned to Israel with writers and filmmakers to record people expressing good wishes for Iran.[4] The team spent a day filming, and the video asked people living in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and Bethlehem to send a personal wish to Iran and to Hassan Rouhani, identified by the source as Iran's new president at the time.[4] The Jewish Agency described the resulting video as a YouTube sensation and reported that the team reached more than 140,000 people online within a few months.[4]
The production team included poet Andrew Lustig, assistant producer Malky Schwartz, cinematographer Jeff Handel, producer Raphael Sisa, and translator Elhanan Miller, a Masa Israel Journey alumnus.[4] Shamash emphasized that the project depended on the distinct contribution of each crew member. Their wishes centered on interpersonal connection and overcoming fear: Handel wished to build bridges between people who would otherwise never meet; Sisa wished that people would ask themselves meaningful questions; and Shamash hoped that "everyone in the world would overcome their fears, and get out of their comfort zones."[4]
Shamash brought a personal dimension to the project. Born in Texas to Persian immigrants, he described himself as a "Persian Jewish Cowboy."[4] During his time in Israel, he spoke Farsi with a Tel Aviv store owner and discovered that the man had been his grandfather's neighbor in Iran. The Jewish Agency presents the encounter as part of Shamash's connection to his Persian Jewish heritage and his motivation for creating the video project.[4]
05Aftermath and Reception
Mobasheri's petition argued that honoring Edry and Tamir would affirm people seeking peace and encourage others to become activists.[3] She characterized the Israeli-Iranian exchange as bringing ordinary people together despite the war rhetoric of their governments.[3]
The related One Wish Jerusalem team separately reported reaching more than 140,000 people online within a few months.[4] Together, the campaign, petition, and similarly themed video project provided visible examples of civilians using online media to address people across the Israeli-Iranian divide.
06Controversies
A Jerusalem Post opinion columnist argued that the campaign's public presentation became excessively centered on Edry and Tamir, describing it as an instance of a wider "cult of personality" in social activism. The author recounted observing Edry at a restaurant accompanied by a camera crew and contended that public attention focused too narrowly on the founders rather than the campaign's message.[1] These characterizations represent one columnist's opinion rather than independently established findings.
Sources
- 1The Jerusalem Post (accessed September 17, 2026)
- 2The Jewish Standard (accessed September 17, 2026)
- 3Ynetnews (accessed September 17, 2026)
- 4The Jewish Agency (accessed September 17, 2026)
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What was the Israel Loves Iran campaign?
The Israel Loves Iran campaign was a grassroots social-media movement that emerged in March 2012, founded by Israeli couple Ronny Edry and Michal Tamir. Using their graphic-design skills, the two created imagery intended to address Iranian civilians directly during heightened fears of a possible war between the countries, presenting Israeli-Iranian relations in terms of friendship and shared humanity.
What inspired Ronny Edry to create the first Israel Loves Iran poster?
Edry said he created the first poster after overhearing a grocery-store conversation about the possibility of Israel being struck by 10,000 missiles per day. Rather than respond with counter-rhetoric, he addressed Iranian civilians directly with an image showing him holding his daughter, who held an Israeli flag, alongside the message: "Iranians, we will never bomb your country. We love you."
How did Iranians respond to the Israel Loves Iran campaign?
The campaign's initial image became the focal point of an online exchange between Israelis and Iranians. In May 2012, Iranian Facebook activist Roya Mobasheri promoted an online petition supporting Edry and Tamir for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, describing the exchange as an example of ordinary people connecting despite governmental rhetoric about war.
What was the "One Wish for Iran, Love Israel" video project?
"One Wish for Iran, Love Israel" was a separate peace-messaging initiative with a similar theme to the Israel Loves Iran campaign. It was created by a team led by Joseph Shamash, a 2003 Taglit-Birthright Israel alumnus, who returned to Israel with writers and filmmakers to record people in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and Bethlehem expressing personal wishes for Iran and its then-new president, Hassan Rouhani. The Jewish Agency described the resulting video as a YouTube sensation that reached more than 140,000 people online within a few months.
What personal connection did Joseph Shamash have to the "One Wish for Iran" project?
Shamash, who was born in Texas to Persian immigrants and described himself as a "Persian Jewish Cowboy," brought a personal dimension to the project. During his time in Israel, he spoke Farsi with a Tel Aviv store owner and discovered that the man had been his grandfather's neighbor in Iran. The Jewish Agency presents this encounter as part of Shamash's connection to his Persian Jewish heritage and his motivation for creating the video.
Was the Israel Loves Iran campaign criticized?
A Jerusalem Post opinion columnist argued that the campaign's public presentation became excessively centered on Edry and Tamir, describing it as an instance of a wider "cult of personality" in social activism. The columnist contended that public attention focused too narrowly on the founders rather than the campaign's message, though these characterizations represent one columnist's opinion rather than independently established findings.