Between the hammer and the anvil: The life of the Jewish community in Iran
The Jewish community in Iran leads a vibrant life with synagogues, educational institutions, and a representative in parliament, enjoying freedom of religion and full freedom of occupation. However, these freedoms are not free: they are granted in exchange for public support of the regime, which uses the community to prove it is not antisemitic. Dr. Tamar Eilam Gindin, an expert on Iran from the University of Haifa, explains the daily life of Iranian Jews and why the war and tension with Israel may harm their status.
Listen to 'The Headline' — Ynet's daily news podcast. This time: the life of the Jewish community in Iran.
'The Jewish community presents themselves as Iranian Jews. This is an important nuance — they do not say Jewish-Iranians, for example. In all radio or television programs, when the community leaders speak, they emphasize that they are first of all Iranians and then Jews. In the victory celebrations after the 12-day war, for example, no one in Iran except the Jewish community participated because only they agreed to take part in these performances. In these celebrations, they brought soldiers onto the stage. In every media interview, the Chief Rabbi of Iran, Rabbi Yehuda Gerami, conveys messages in a similar spirit in Hebrew to Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israelis,' explains Dr. Tamar Eilam Gindin, an expert on Iran from the University of Haifa.
'It is difficult to understand how the Jews in Iran see themselves. It is possible that it is different from how they present themselves, because they do not have much choice. The Jews of Iran are a kind of hostage of the regime. On one hand, they receive full freedom of religion and full freedom of occupation. They are allowed, for example, to produce and drink alcohol — something very non-trivial in such an Islamic country. The Jews have freedoms and also a representative in the Knesset. This helps the regime with their propaganda. It allows them to show the world that they are not antisemitic, but only anti-Zionist. The point is that these freedoms do not come for free. They come in exchange for support for the regime.'
If you missed it: you are invited to listen to another episode of ours about the turmoil in the Ukrainian leadership, which is bringing young people out to the streets.
