President Shimon Peres sent Iran a greeting of reciprocity for the Persian new year – friendship for friendship; war for war.

"Tomorrow morning, millions of Iranians will go to celebrate their holiday, the Nowruz," Peres said in an Internet video greeting.

"The Nowruz is the beginning of the springtime, Nowruz is a holiday of friendship, Nowruz is a holiday of good neighborhood with many other people."

"My wish is that you could celebrate it full-heartedly – without fear, without hatred, without threats, without hanging on nuclear bombs. If you won't hate, you won't be hated. If you won't threaten, you won't be threatened. If you'll show friendship, you will get friendship.

"If you'll hang on (to) your culture, everybody will remember that Iran was an empire of culture, of great thinkers, of great poets, of great painters... an outstanding nation. What are you doing now? For what do you need all this hatred, all these exaggerations, all these bombs – are you going to bomb?

"And if you bomb, nobody will bomb you back? That's a total illusion. Why should you suffer economically for this game? There is a new world, with a global economy, hanging on science and technology. Why won't you enter it - free, wise, with your culture, with your capabilities?

"Bomb will open your doors? Bomb will make you great? Bomb will make you free? Bombs will make you happy? Whom do you want to kill? What for? And if you want to kill, nobody will let them fire.

"Nobody can understand what your leaders are doing. They're oppressing you, they hang innocent people. They spend your money for introducing terror all over the place - in South America, in Africa, in the Middle East.

"What do you want that for? More people to kill and bicker [with]?

"I wish you a happy holiday – that you'll come back to yourself, that you'll remember your great culture – and use it to enter a world of freedom, a world of dignity, a world of peace, a world of understanding

"Happy New Year."