Pledging Allegiance: Why Jewish Leaders in Iran are Publicly Backing the Regime
As Iran’s death toll from civil unrest reaches unprecedented levels, the local Jewish community is striving to maintain normalcy and prove its loyalty to avoid becoming a target.
Despite international reports suggesting that several Iranian Jews were killed during the brutal suppression of recent protests, local community sources and religious leaders have issued a firm denial. Representatives of the Jewish kehilla in Tehran state that the community has remained safe, with no confirmed fatalities or injuries among its members. Jewish life, according to these sources, has continued with relative stability, as synagogues remain open for daily prayers, and educational programs continue even as the country faces its deadliest internal war in decades. However, this safety has come at a price of strict political neutrality and public declarations of support for the ruling regime. Community leaders are currently working to resolve the "mistaken" detention of several members caught in the sweeping security raids that have already seen tens of thousands of Iranians arrested nationwide.
Loyalty Amidst a Massive Crackdown
The Jewish community in Iran is navigating an extremely perilous landscape. While independent human rights organizations estimate that regime forces killed upwards of 36,500 people in just a two day period this January, the Jewish minority has made a conscious effort to stay away from protest zones. Sources close to the community told news outlets that Jews have demonstrated full loyalty to the state to ensure their continued protection. This position was solidified by Homayoun Sameh, the Jewish representative in the Iranian parliament, who published a statement alongside other minority leaders supporting the government and condemning the United States and Israel. This public alignment is viewed by many as a necessary survival tactic in a country where the Supreme Leader has labeled protesters as terrorists and foreign agents.
Efforts are currently focused on the release of several community members who were detained on suspicion of involvement in the unrest. Leaders of the kehilla maintain that these individuals were arrested "by mistake" and had no connection to the anti-regime movement. While the internet remains largely shut down across the country, reports indicate that daily religious life has not been interrupted. Synagogues continue to host Tefilos and Shiurim, and schools operate under the premise of total loyalty to the administration. This strategy of public support and private religious practice aims to shield the small minority from the unprecedented wave of violence and forced confessions currently being broadcast on state television to intimidate the population.