Watch: Netanyahu blasts Iranian regime for forcing wrestler to throw a match to avoid an Israeli opponent

On Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu ripped into the Iranian regime after an Irani wrestler was urged to throw his match to avoid facing an Israeli in the next round. The Israeli PM posted the video after Ali Reza Karimi of Iran in the U-23 World Championships threw his match against Russia’s Alikhan Zhabrailov to avoid facing Israel’s Kalashnikov in the second round. Netanyahu says in the video: “Now that's not surprising, given that the regime in Tehran calls for the destruction of all Israelis, the destruction of Israel.”

He added: “Close your eyes and think about Ali Reza for a moment. He trained countless hours; he dreamed of becoming a world champion. But the Iranian regime would rather see its athletes lose than compete against Israeli.” He called on the Iranian people to foster coexistence saying, “I want you to film yourself playing a sport against someone of a different nationality, a different faith or different colour. I want you to compete like hell – we’re all for competition."

“Then I want you to shake hands, go out for a drink together, and then upload this to the social media. I want you to show Iran’s regime that hating others will never make you a champion. It only makes you a pathetic and insecure loser.”

He also asked people to imagine what it would be like for a government ‘forbidding its athletes from competing against blacks, gays or Arabs’. The wrestler himself had acknowledged that he was unhappy about throwing the fight stating, “In a moment, my whole world seemed to come to an end.”

Karimi had also added: “I tried hard for months to get the world gold medal. Achieving a world medal is the only happiness for any of us.”

Check out Netanyahu and the match video below: 

I never imagined I'd say this... pic.twitter.com/vcjk7i0a6Q

— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 4, 2017