The Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament acknowledged Tuesday that several members of the country’s Jewish community were recently detained in connection with the war between Israel and Iran—but firmly denied allegations of espionage.Sameyah, who has been expressing strong support for the Islamic Republic’s leadership, claimed the arrests stemmed from unauthorized private gatherings. “Some people were arrested for holding unlicensed family celebrations, and they are set to be released. These individuals have no connection to espionage,” he said.
Sure.
Despite Sameyah’s reassurances, accounts from within the Jewish community in Iran paint a more troubling picture. Community members describe a climate of fear and surveillance, where individuals may disappear simply due to their surname or travel history. Sources close to the community speak of persistent anxiety and government scrutiny, despite Tehran’s public efforts to portray its Jewish population as loyal and secure.
But he also made an accusation I had not seen before:
He also accused Israel of being responsible for the deaths of several Iranian Jews, calling them “martyrs” of the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran. “This shows their support and loyalty to the country,” he said.
That is most interesting, since he has been interviewed several times during and after the war, and he never said a thing about Iranian Jews being killed. In a Turkish interview done the same day, he mentioned damage to Jewish homes and one injury, but no deaths:
"There are places in Tehran that were hit near the homes of the Jewish community. These places are where our community lives. There was damage to Jewish homes in the 6th and 7th districts of Tehran. There were at least 5 cases of major damage, very extensive damage such as cracked roofs, walls and also serious broken windows."Noting that a member of the Jewish community was also injured in these attacks, Najafabadi said, "An Iranian Jew was injured in one of the explosions that caused the windows to break in the attacks in Tehran District 7."
It is clear that Semayeh can only say what Iran wants him to say. He's the token Jew who must play his role as a patriot while his community is frightened.
Notice the photo of Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, prominently shown in the background of his interview.
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"He's an Anti-Zionist Too!" cartoon book (December 2024) PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022) |
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