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Last update - 11:23 31/12/2007
Endangering the Jews of Iran
By Yossi Melman
Tags: Israel, Jewish Agency 

The unnecessary media to-do surrounding the arrival of 40 Jews from Iran last week might harm immigration to Israel and the 28,000 Jews still in Iran. The Jewish Agency, the military censor and the government agency who contributed to these festivities, or who did not prevent them, might be sorry afterward.

At the moment the response from Tehran has been minor. The leaders of Iran's Jewish community, obviously on the instructions of their government, quickly denounced the efforts of the "Zionist regime" to entice them to immigrate. But people familiar with the Iranian regime's behavior patterns say it will be difficult for them to act as if nothing has happened regarding an act they perceive as a callous Israeli provocation.

Immigration to Israel from the Arab countries, Iran and the Soviet bloc became a key issue for all Israeli governments. For this reason two espionage organizations were put in charge of it: the Mossad (via the Bitzur unit) in Arab countries, and Nativ in Eastern Europe.
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Bitzur and Nativ organized impressive but secret immigration operations over the years. They were assisted by Jewish organizations like the American Joint Distribution Committee in bringing Jews to Israel from Morocco, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan - and according to foreign sources, from Iran as well.

Their methods were essentially similar. Preparatory work was done in the community. Arrangements with the local government were preferable, so international pressure and pressure by Jewish organizations was used, and if necessary money changed hands. Only when an accommodation could not be reached to bring Jews out were other means invoked, such as smuggling them out. The Israeli press, and in many cases the foreign press as well, were in on the secret and knew how to keep it, recognizing that any report on the details might cost lives.

The leaders of Muslim countries are ready to let Jews out as long as this does not become public knowledge. The moment details are leaked, their adversaries accuse them of strengthening the Zionist state and its army. That was the case when news of the immigration from Sudan leaked, and the country's president, Jaafar Nimeiri, had to fend off accusations by his opponents about cooperation with the Zionist enemy.

The Jews of Iran enjoy reasonable treatment. They have an organized community life and are free to conduct their religious rituals and businesses. Like most Iranian citizens, they are also allowed to go abroad, and when they return they are not asked what they did on their vacation. It may be assumed that the Iranian authorities know that most of them have relatives in Israel.

In other words, as long as things remain quiet and do not appear on the public agenda, the Iranian authorities can come to terms with the situation. When the relationship between Iranian Jews and Iran becomes vociferous and public, they must respond. That is what happened when Rabbi Yehiel Eckstein's International Fellowship of Christians and Jews announced in 2007 that it would pay tens of thousands of dollars to every Iranian Jew who came to live in Israel. Iranian spokesmen responded angrily and the heads of the Jewish community had to distance themselves from the rabbi's initiative.

It is clear to all concerned that a monetary incentive will not make the Jews of Iran come live in Israel. For this reason, too, the recent publicity is another unnecessary step a la Eckstein, who is known for his connections with Christian fundamentalists in the United States.

It may perhaps be understood why Eckstein wants to aggrandize himself; it is much more difficult to understand why the Jewish Agency and government officials are cooperating with him when they know that hanging in the balance is the fate of an entire Jewish community in a Muslim country hostile to Israel. There was no change in policy. The prime minister did not know about it, and the Jewish Agency and that government agency which helped out last week should go back to the old pattern that proved itself so well.
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  1.   JEWS CAN COME BUT NOT PALESTINAIN 09:31  |  ADEEL 31/12/07
  2.   My Religion is Democracy , Turn Your Critics to Its Watch Dog 09:45  |  Joseph E . 31/12/07
  3.   #1 Estatic Iranian Jews 09:47  |  Kate 31/12/07
  4.   ...to let Jews out... 10:27  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 31/12/07
  5.   DONT KILL THE HOMESICK BIRDS 10:33  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 31/12/07
  6.   dont take THE TASTE OF THE LIVING from my birds 10:47  |  ... 31/12/07
  7.   YITHZAK AND ISHMAEL ARE SINKING INTO SAME DEEP WATER 11:37  |  ... 31/12/07
  8.   ADEEL.Pals. can go to the Islamic Republic of Palestine 12:00  |  PETER SM 31/12/07
  9.   The God (C.C) is too big FOR HUMAN 12:01  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 31/12/07
  10.   WHY SO MUCH FUSS over the Jews in Iran..... 12:05  |  Dolly 31/12/07
  11.   I love you, atilla karagözoğlu :) 12:20  |  Miss Tali Farkash 31/12/07
  12.   A HINEOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRANIAN 13:07  |  indrajaya 31/12/07
  13.   To PETER SM # 8 - The Islamic Republic of Palestine..... 14:00  |  Dagma 31/12/07
  14.   Fried chicken a la Karagözoğlu 14:17  |  Boris 31/12/07
  15.   What Israel wants 14:20  |  Boycott 31/12/07
  16.   PETER SM # 8 - Have you forgotten something? 14:22  |  Annya 31/12/07
  17.   The only People endangering the Jews of Iran are 14:41  |  Arrabella 31/12/07
  18.   It`s Getting very Confusing about the Iranian Jews.... 14:50  |  Dagma 31/12/07
  19.   ISRAEL/JEWS Need To END The Theater & Make PEACE! ...$10,000/Few. 14:54  |  Proud Pal Defender 31/12/07
  20.   ADDLED EEL 15:00  |  Albert Seligman 31/12/07
  21.   a la...A LA.... NO LA BORIS ! 15:03  |  ... 31/12/07
  22.   Jews of Iran 15:40  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  23.   Jews of Iran 2 15:52  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  24.   Jews of Iran 3 16:10  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  25.   Yossi 16:13  |  bytheway 31/12/07
  26.   Rustam you must be kidding 16:20  |  Fred Locke 31/12/07
  27.   # 22, Rustam ! that is sad 16:23  |  ... 31/12/07
  28.   Rustom ! What Probaganda department you work for ? 16:27  |  ... 31/12/07
  29.   Israeli Probaganda Department ...Guys ! Tell Rustam Hello :) 16:31  |  ... 31/12/07
  30.   To Fred Locke- Not kidding 16:46  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  31.   To Atilla the ... 17:04  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  32.   EXCELLENT ARTICLE by YOSSY MELMAN 17:04  |  Fortuna Benmayor 31/12/07
  33.   Have they not heard that they have a homeland? 17:05  |  EuroStar 31/12/07
  34.   To Atilla the ... continued 17:12  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  35.   Haaretz published the stories 17:29  |  Ethel 31/12/07
  36.   Jews of Iran in the 19th century 17:33  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  37.   Iranian Jews 17:46  |  Ethel 31/12/07
  38.   Rustam--So, WHY Are The Jews Still There? ...ISRAEL Does Similar. 18:14  |  Proud Pal Defender 31/12/07
  39.   #35 Ethel 18:27  |  Boycott 31/12/07
  40.   To proud pal defender 18:30  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  41.   Jews who choose to stay in Iran can blame only themselves 18:57  |  josef cohen 31/12/07
  42.   ironic? 19:25  |  donnie 31/12/07
  43.   #! MUSLIM COUNTRIES DONTWANT THEM 19:47  |  TOBIA 31/12/07
  44.   # 42 ironic 19:58  |  tbora 31/12/07
  45.   To tbora- How to thank Muslims 20:14  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  46.   #45 rustam 20:21  |  donnie 31/12/07
  47.   All Iranians are God`s People. 20:31  |  Shahyar Moghadarian 31/12/07
  48.   To Donnie 20:36  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  49.   #45 Rustam 20:37  |  tbora 31/12/07
  50.   Rustam is a liar 20:39  |  Raad 31/12/07
  51.   To Donnie- Muslim treatment to be thankfull about 20:40  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  52.   More history of Jews in Iran 20:41  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  53.   To dummie...i mean donnie 20:42  |  hebro 31/12/07
  54.   More examples of Wonderfull Muslim treatment 20:42  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  55.   And yet more things to thank Muslims for 20:43  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  56.   #45 Rustam 20:49  |  tbora 31/12/07
  57.   #48 rustam 20:50  |  donnie 31/12/07
  58.   #51, 54 Rustam 20:53  |  tbora 31/12/07
  59.   Raad you are the liar 20:54  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  60.   Raad 20:56  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  61.   Mazel Tov, Welcome To ISRAEL! Lets Party! 21:04  |  Mark Hamil 31/12/07
  62.   To Rustam`s uninformed comments 21:08  |  Jew friendly Iranian 31/12/07
  63.   #59 Rustam 21:13  |  tbora 31/12/07
  64.   Donnie Duck 21:15  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  65.   to rustam 21:15  |  donnie 31/12/07
  66.   Jew Friendly Iranian 21:22  |  Rustam 31/12/07
  67.   Rustam isn`t your name and you are Najis. 21:26  |  Amir 31/12/07
  68.   Najist Rustam, please change your name 21:29  |  Amir 31/12/07
  69.   Rustam Najist ! 21:31  |  Amir 31/12/07
  70.   Endangering Iran`s jews is exactly what Zionists wants 21:32  |  Moise 31/12/07
  71.   Rustam 21:54  |  Danite 31/12/07
  72.   Jew of Iran 22:12  |  P. J. Casey 31/12/07
  73.   JEW FRIENDLY IRANIAN 1.You are not in Iran ,Why is that? 22:36  |  PETER SM 31/12/07
  74.   Thanks Rustam for giving us the truth about Iran 00:43  |  Conroy 01/01/08
  75.   # 2 joseph e. stand up and think! 00:56  |  eric 01/01/08
  76.   JEW FRIENDLY Iranian that`s what WAS watch attached for what IS 01:05  |  PETER SM 01/01/08
  77.   No Sale Jew Friendly iranian 02:05  |  hebro 01/01/08
  78.   Things are always tough for all Iranians 02:14  |  Ali Agha Khan Abassi 01/01/08
  79.   # Some advice to Rabbi Eckstein et al. 03:46  |  Stephen. 01/01/08
  80.   All Iranians are Equal 05:52  |  Ali Agha Khan Abassi 01/01/08
  81.   funy propaganda 07:12  |  Jean 01/01/08
  82.   Ethel #37 09:08  |  Shoshanna 01/01/08