Iranian president Hassan Rouhani
Iranian president Hassan RouhaniReuters

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani took to Twitter on Sunday to wish Jews a Happy New Year in honor of the holiday of Rosh Hashanah.

“May our shared Abrahamic roots deepen respect & bring peace & mutual understanding. L'Shanah Tovah,” wrote the Iranian president.

This is not the first time that Rouhani has made such a gesture to Jews. Two years ago, shortly after being elected, he also sent well wishes to the Jewish people on the occasion of Rosh Hashanah.

In another gesture to the Jewish community, Rouhani later donated $170,000 to the country's only Jewish hospital.

In contrast to his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Rouhani stated in an interview on CNN shortly after his election that the Nazis committed a "reprehensible" crime against the Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Iran subsequently claimed that CNNhad misrepresented Rouhani's statements, claiming the network added the words "Holocaust" and "reprehensible" to its translation.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Rosh Hashanah in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)