There is no one who emerged in 2013 as a more important player on the Iranian issue than Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, Jerusalem Post said.
Rouhani, though long an important actor on the Iranian scene, was relatively unknown to the Israeli public until he emerged as the victor in Iran's June elections. But once he won those elections and embarked on his charm offensive, particularly with his trip to the United Nations in September, he significantly changed the discussion on Iran.
Smiling, speaking in mild tones, appearing cuddly and avuncular Rouhani was quickly labeled a "moderate" by the media, a label that contrasted with the "hard-line" tag the mainstream media frequently affixes to Netanyahu's name.
Iran seemingly overnight became a partner to be engaged.
