Washington Post Report on the Views of Iranian Jews in Israel Regarding the Nuclear Agreement

The American newspaper Washington Post, in a report from Tel Aviv, has sought the views of several Iranian Jews residing in Israel about the government's stance in the country they now inhabit against the nuclear agreement with Iran, their homeland to which they still have a strong attachment. The reporter notes that while Israeli leaders have portrayed Iran's nuclear program as a threat to the survival of the country, few nations in the world have been as eagerly and closely watching the fate of the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the powers as Israel. In this context, the opinions of Iranian-born residents in Israel regarding the nuclear talks may be more interesting than anyone else's in the country. Adam Taylor, a Washington Post journalist who has mingled with Iranian Jews in Tel Aviv and interviewed 'Manshe Amir', a veteran presenter and analyst of the Persian section of Israel Radio, and 'Sali Shahour', a university professor in Haifa, states that while the Israeli government has instilled in the country's society that Iran is a serious threat to Israel, these Iranians living in Israel speak of their affection and love for Iran. 'Manshe Amir' says Iran is like a mother and Israel like a father, and as a child, he cannot choose between the two. Dr. 'Shahour' also mentions that he has been in Israel since he was nine years old and after nearly 50 years of living here, he tells everyone that he is more Iranian than Israeli, which angers his Israeli friends. Manshe Amir, who began his journalism career at the age of 16 at the Kayhan newspaper in Tehran and has been continuously active in international journalism since then, has been following Iran, Israel, and the region for over 55 years. The Washington Post journalist also visited Levinsky Street in Tel Aviv, where several spice shops sell Iranian spices, and a small Iranian restaurant run by an Iranian family with a mother who still wears a headscarf, listening to their comments about the tension that has split their hearts. On Levinsky Street and also in the building of the central bus station in Tel Aviv, especially in the shoe stores, many shopkeepers speak Persian. In the small Tel Aviv restaurant in the narrow but busy Levinsky neighborhood, owned by the 'Hanasab' family, which has also chosen the ostentatious name 'Shamsiri' for this popular restaurant, while Mrs. 'Malook Hanasab' cooks traditional Iranian dishes on traditional lamps, her son 'Ari Hanasab' serves it on plates for mostly working-class customers and passersby from the lower-middle class. They remind that they can no longer travel to Iran, but part of their heart is there, yet they still speak Persian and maintain traditional Iranian behaviors. The name of the Shamsiri restaurant in Tel Aviv recalls the names of Shamsiri kebab houses of Iranians around the world, which in turn remind of the famous old Shamsiri kebab house located in Sabzeh Meydan, Tehran, known for the quality of its food for years and having many customers. 'Ari Hanasab' tells the Washington Post reporter that we Iranians are skilled negotiators; it is clear that the Iranian government has sent its best and most professional negotiators to the nuclear negotiation team to bargain against the Westerners; it is evident that Iranians have no rivals in this area. 'Ari Hanasab', who was born in Israel, therefore accepts more of the Israeli leaders' claims that the policies of Iranian leaders are like those of the Nazis, but Meir Javadifar, who was born in Iran but lived in Britain and has recently come to Israel, says that Israeli politicians and officials exaggerate greatly. Javadifar points out that most Iranian Jews living in Israel are from conservative Jews who naturally show attachment to Benjamin Netanyahu's claims; Meir Litvak, an Iran affairs researcher at Tel Aviv University, also confirms Javadifar's opinion, adding that for the past thirty years, it has been assessed that most of these principled Jews have supported the Likud party, which has been led by Netanyahu in recent years. However, 'Aharon Davidi', an Iranian Jewish accountant who manages the accounts of some Iranian Jewish merchants on Levinsky Street, is '100 percent certain that the Iranian regime is lying about its intentions regarding the nuclear program.' He justifies his concerns by stating that Israel is a small country compared to the very powerful Iran. 'Baruch Davidi', Aharon's brother, also says that if sanctions against Iran are lifted, their economy will flourish, and they will have more money to give to Hamas and Hezbollah. 'Reuven Haimpour', an Iranian fabric merchant residing in Tel Aviv, also states that 'Americans do not understand this region at all; this is the main issue.' According to the Washington Post journalist, these Iranian Jews who confirm their government's position on Iran's nuclear program have no concerns about the Iranian people; 'Isaac Makani', an Iranian shopkeeper, says that the people of Iran love Jews; they have not hated anyone. Amid the heartfelt sentiments of Iranian-born residents in Israel towards Iran and the people of their homeland or their parents' homeland, while Dr. 'Shahour' considers himself 'more Iranian than Israeli', the same 'Ari Hanasab', who spends many hours of his daily life serving Iranian dishes in the small popular restaurant, says, 'It is not a matter of being Iranian or Israeli; my identity is my Judaism; it does not matter where I was born; I am a Jew.' With this 'argument', he seeks to justify his partnership in expressing the 'concerns' of the Israeli government about Iran's nuclear program. The Washington Post journalist mentions a figure of about 140,000 Iranian Jews residing in Israel, including the famous singer 'Rita Jahanforuz' residing in Tel Aviv and 'Moshe Katsav' (Moses the Butcher), the former president of this country (who is currently behind bars). However, experts say that the figure mentioned by the Washington Post for the number of Iranian-born residents in Israel is an unbelievable exaggeration that is repeated by some ordinary Iranian Jews in Israel without any scientific and statistical accuracy and is undoubtedly incorrect. Aside from the issue of the number of Iranian-born residents in Israel, previous statistics have mentioned about 250,000 Israeli citizens of Iranian descent. The 'Central Organization of Iranian Jews in Israel' has previously announced that it represents about 250,000 Iranian Jews in Israel whose ancestors or parents are Iranian. According to some reports, in the past century, especially since the independence of Israel, nearly 80,000 Jews from Iran have immigrated to Israel, which now, including their children and grandchildren, amounts to about 250,000. Iranian Jews in Israel introduce themselves as 'Persians' and are also referred to as 'Persians' by Israelis.