The visit to Israel last week by Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi caused an uproar in Iran.
Dr. Homayoun Sameyah, the representative of the Jewish community in the Iranian parliament, was among those who were critical of the visit. In an interview with the Fars news agency, he said, “Today, the Zionist regime suffers from internal disputes, and the decisions of the Netanyahu government always lead to escalation, including demonstrations by Zionists in the occupied territories.”
He added, “In addition to this, the operations of the front of the resistance, carried out by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and by Palestinians in the occupied territories, dealt severe blows to the Zionist regime.”
He also said that “the weakness of the Zionist regime guarantees the fulfillment of the order of the Supreme Leader of the revolution regarding this regime and the return of the Palestinians to their homeland.”
“The combination of these factors destroyed the deterrent power of the Zionist regime and prepared the ground for the collapse of this fake regime. This weakness of the deterrent power of the Zionist regime is a promise of the Supreme Leader of the revolution, and we will witness the return of the Palestinians to their homeland and their homes in the not too distant future,” continued Sameyah.
On the visit of the Crown Prince to the “Occupied Territories of Palestine”, he said that “Reza Pahlavi’s trip disgusted the nations of the world, especially the Iranian Jews, I condemn and protest this visit.”
Sameyah in the past condemned the killing of IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani, who was eliminated in a US air strike in Iraq in 2020, and offered his condolences to the general”s family.
He lauded Soleimani as an “officer of peace and security, the symbol of honor, zealousness, the opposite of arrogance, and a symbol of the defense of the weak and the homeland.”
More recently, Sameyah took part in an anti-Israeli “Al-Quds Day” march in Iran.
The Jewish community in Iran, numbering about 8,000, lives in the country in the shadow of fear of harassment or accusations of espionage. Its leaders are constantly trying to differentiate between Judaism and Zionism.
While Iranian leaders regularly call for Israel”s destruction, the Jewish community there is on good terms with the authorities.
