The first thing the Jews of Iran did Friday before last, when they heard the astonishing news that commander of the Revolutionary Guards Corps' elite Quds Force Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani had been killed in a US airstrike, was issue sharp condemnations of the American act.
"God will avenge his blood," a message from the Jewish community said.
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At the start of last week, representatives of the community arrived at Soleimanis' home to pay their condolences to his family, and took part in his funeral. Those present included Chief Rabbi of Tehran Yehuda Gerami, who even condemned the killing in an interview to state television. We can only guess how afraid the community was that the nation would vent its fury against them.
The Iranian Jewish community is one of the oldest in the world. Legend has it that the Jews arrived in then-Persia after the destruction of the First Temple. Prior to the Islamic Revolution in 1979, some 80,000 Jews lived in Iran, but after the ayatollahs took power most of them left for Israel and the US. Today, the Jewish community in Iran is estimated to number some 8,000, most of whom live in the biggest cities, such as Shiraz and Tehran.
"As far as religion goes, they enjoy freedom – more or less – because the Muslims cannot reject Judaism, which is mentioned in the Quran. So they can celebrate [Jewish] holidays and keep kosher and go to synagogue," explains Rani Amrani, the director of Israel's Farsi-language RadioRan, who made aliyah from Iran years ago. Amrani maintains close ties to Iranian Jews and non-Jews.
According to Amrani, one of the best ways for the Jewish community to ensure things stay quiet and they stay safe is to throw off any hints of Zionism.
"They are trying to distinguish between Judaism and Zionism to avoid being targeted," Amrani says.
Even messaging apps are risky
Every few years, rare footage of Jewish activity in Iran is made public, usually around the holidays. Last Sukkot, Jewish BDS activist Ariel Gold documented the traditional prayers. Of course, her visit was approved by the Iranian regime. The goal? To prove that Iran has no quarrel with Judaism, only with Zionism. Rabbi Gerami's Facebook page also shows recent prayers and rites, including the song "Maoz Tzur" sung in both Hebrew and Farsi.
Amrani says that in the past, he has reached out to Iranian Jews via the Whatsapp messaging app, but that any contact of that type comprises a clear risk.
"They are very afraid because they could easily be accused of spying. I have regular listeners and every synagogue knows my radio station, but their situation is very delicate. If a Muslim speaks with Israel it's a problem – if a Jew does, he'll be suspected of spying. So we are talking about them [Iranian Jews] less now so we won't drag them into anything. Their lives are truly in danger," he says.
Radio Ran is currently the only Israeli radio station that broadcasts in Farsi, and many residents and former residents of Iran tune in for updates on the world that are not filtered through the extremist regime.
In the past, there were Iranian Jews who somehow made it to Israel, particularly to take part in family celebrations. But it was dangerous.
"if a Jew was caught going to Israel, he would have to serve five years in prison. I know Iranian Jews who came [to Israel] and returned, but two of them were caught and given long prison sentences," Amrani says.
Now things are even more tenuous. The strike on Soleimani upended everything and strengthened Iran's opposition to the US, and as a result, to Israel. The days after the hit saw a spike in Google searches in Farsi for "revenge," and Jews in Iran are afraid for their lives.
"The Jewish community is very afraid after the strike that Muslims will point a finger at them and see Jews as a target. 'If the Jews killed Soleimani,' they'll say, 'we'll kill the Jews here.' So the Jewish community rushed to put out a message mourning Soleimani's death, and members paid condolence visits. I would do the same if I were in their place," Amrani explains.
'The state isn't helping'
Repeated attempts to contact Jews in Iran for this article were thwarted, and even new immigrants to Israel from Iran refused to be interviewed, apparently for fear of endangering their relatives in Iran. Amrani says that he is speaking to Iranians who support the regime, and has noticed a rise in anti-Semitic claims.
"They say that the Jews killed Soleimani. Some are even threatening, 'We'll do thus and such to the Jews.' In my opinion, the Jews in Iran are living on a powder keg that could blow at any moment. They are in grave danger," Amrani says.
"If there is a war between Iran and Israel, or Iran and the US, they'll be the first to be taken hostage and they'll lose everything they have. That's what happened after the Islamic Revolution – they hanged and killed all the wealthy Jews in order to seize their property, and that could happen now, too," he warns.
Despite the danger, the Jews in Iran aren't fleeing, and the economic sanctions are part of the reason. The low value of Iranian currency has made the wealthiest Iranians worth about what an average wage earner in the Israel makes, if not below that.
"There are two reasons why the Jews are staying in Iran – they're either too rich or too poor to leave. The Iranian currency is worth so little that even a person who owns two homes, won't be able to buy a single room here [in Israel]. The rich are making a simple calculation – there, they live like kings, and here they would live like a typical person, at best. Why would they do that? Meanwhile, the poor will find it difficult to start their lives fresh in Israel at age 40 or 50. The state doesn't help Jews from Iran like it once did. Someone who arrives in Israel can't do anything with the money he gets as part of the new immigrant's package," Amrani says.
"I talked to some of my family [there] and asked them what they were doing there – they should get up and come to Israel. Their answer was, 'I have a home and a business here, and if I seel them I can't even buy a room in Israel.' They have no choice – they're staying."
