An Iranian Jewish leader denounced Israel’s “savage” attacks against Iran as tensions remain high in the region this week.
Newsweek reached out to the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The Iran-Israel conflict has continued to escalate after Israel launched strikes at Iran last week with the goal of diminishing its nuclear capabilities amid concerns that Tehran was working to build a nuclear weapon.
Israel and Iran have since fired strikes back-and-forth over recent days as President Donald Trump weighs whether the U.S. should become involved to help Israel. The conflict could reshape affairs in the region and across the globe for years to come.
What To Know
Khodadad Goharian, a leader of a small Jewish community in Yazd, Iran, condemned Israel’s attacks as “savage deeds” that have “deeply wounded the hearts of all Iranians,” reported The Jerusalem Post, citing local media. Goharian raised concerns that the strikes have killed civilians, including children.
He also backed Iran’s call for a military response to the strikes, according to the outlet.
Lior Sternfeld, associate professor of history and Jewish studies at Penn State University, told Newsweek the statement is not surprising.
“They live in Iran, and they are part of the Iranian society. There is, of course, some level of expectation from them to issue such a statement, but we shouldn’t assume that they do it under pressure. The Israeli attacks affect them, too. They live in those same spaces. Who wouldn’t go against foreign powers bombing their homes?” Sternfeld said.
Approximately 9,000 Jewish people live in Iran, primarily concentrated in major cities such as Tehran and Shiraz, according to the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) earlier this year. Prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, up to 100,000 Jewish Iranians were living in the country.
Judaism is one of four religions recognized in Iran, and there are dozens of synagogues in the country, according to JNS.
The Iranian Jewish community has a “complicated” relationship with Israel, Sternfeld said.
“Of course, supporting Israel openly is not an option. It is perilous for anyone to support Israel publicly, especially while being Jewish, and especially now,” he said.
Tensions between the two nations remained high on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday condemned an Iranian strike that damaged Soroka Hospital in Beersheba. The Israel Defense Forces reported a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.
Meanwhile, Israel launched airstrikes on Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, a facility linked to plutonium production. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the site was inactive and contained no nuclear material, but Israel said the strike was aimed at preventing future weapons development.
Trump continued to consider U.S. involvement, stating, “I may do it, I may not do it.” He has said he believes Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
What People Are Saying
The Jewish Association and Community of Isfahan wrote in a statement reported by The Jerusalem Post: “The Zionists’ brutality, which is far from any human morality and has caused the martyrdom of a number of our beloved compatriots, including innocent children, has hurt all of our hearts.”
Homayoun Sameh, the Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, said, per Ynet: “Israel is committing war crimes — crimes against humanity. Iranian Jews are part of the Iranian people. I offer condolences to the families of the victims.”
Israeli Health Minister Uriel Busso told The Jerusalem Post following the strike on a hospital: “This is a terrorist act…a red line.”
What Happens Next
Busso told The Jerusalem Post that Israel will exact a heavy price for the latest attack on the Israeli hospital.
Meanwhile, debate continues about whether the U.S. should join the conflict. While some have argued it is strategic to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon, others have said the U.S. should not get involved in a war on Israel’s behalf. Members of Congress are pushing to limit Trump’s ability to join the conflict without their authorization.
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