kick after his humiliation in NY. So sucking up to him a bit might work as good insurance.

Who the hell are you kidding? As a Persian Jew, I can tell you that if Iranian Jews WANTED to immigrate to Israel, they would have no problem doing so. They have good lives in Iran. They are a very wealthy community, represented in the parliament, and live in relative peace nowadays.

They are clearly afraid, scared defenseless children, the reality for the most degraded and humiliated religion.

Statements made under duress are inadmissible in court (of public opinion)

If I lived in Iran and I was a Jew I would do the very same thing, purely for fear of Islamic extremists taking 'revenge' on me! Of course, any Jew who is proud to be a Jew would not slam the US protest against Ahmadinejad, as he wants to destroy Israel, and stirs up hatred towards both Jews and the USA himself!

make such a statement.

As an eastern European Jew I think I have to go to Iran one day and look at all of this myself. Maybe you´re even right, but don´t try to convince the people on this forum of anything. Most of the people here are extremely pro-American and pro-Israeli. I think it´s important to look at all this from a neutral point of view, e.g. nobody who lives either in Israel or the US can view this topic neutrally.

These people are by no means powerless. They did criticize their President for denying the Holocaust last year, you may remember. I think its quite possible that this letter of condemnation is an expression of the community's earnest sentiments, and this, needless to say, is the real outrage.

By calling them "afraid, defenseless children"?!!! Are you sure? Do you personally know any of them? Your comments could only be interpreted as utterly stupid.

with its political opinion!

We can all appreciate the situation of Jews (or any minority, like the non-existent gays or persecuted Bahais) in an Islamic totalitarian theocracy. I wouldn't expect them to issue a statement condemning Ahmadinejad, most people just don't have that kind of courage. I can't say why they stay there - if they can't leave, if they will lose everything if they leave, if they are just afraid to make such a big change. I left my country & it took me 3 years to decide, finally, to make the move. Prior to that decision, I thought I would never leave. What ever the disadvantages, I was comfortable & pretty much liked my life-style. In any case, it would be hard to explain the psychological pressures to a person living in a Western democracy. Fear is a terrible thing in a police state & it weighs on you 24 hours a day. So, their statement should be understood in context & judged accordingly.

Iranian Jews would have no problem immigrating to Israel? What, is there a Nefesh B'Nefesh office in Tehran? Any Jew in Iran remotely suspected of sympathizing with Zionism is hauled before kangaroo courts and imprisoned, so what drug is making you think that trying to make aliyah would be easy? By the way, flowery statements like, "They are a very wealthy community," reek of propaganda BS, so tone it down next time if you don't want people to suspect that you are lying about being a "Persian Jew." My apologies if you are in fact a Persian Jew who wrote with a government gun to your head. Your brothers and sisters around the world are praying for you.

LOL to tears!

From what l read, he made a total ass of himself, changing subjects and qouting the Quran instead of giving straight answers. And that not even mentioning the "welcome" speech by the president of the university.

donot beleve this. amadinejad make sure befor he leav cuntry to worn jeish peple to make this spech in the govement. it is for poblik show. if the spech not done than jewish will sufer.

I've been waiting for more criticism of Iranianofascists of the persecution of this group, but if hasn't materialized until this last post. Where are the world newspapers ???

So goes this 'staged' event. Anyone could be forced to do anything when their mere survival is at stake. Period. End of story.

The point is you can't take these statements at face value. The question is not being afraid for your own life. The real question is - if the lives of your parents, spouse, sisters/brothers, children are at stake, how likely would you be to tell the truth? Iran is full of ethnic and religious groups different from the main ethnoreligious polity. It wouldn't be able to keep itself together without a high degree of totalitarianism.

I had the opportunity to visit Iran some 30 years ago, and benefited from the hospitality of my Jewish hosts. The population was then estimated at 80,000 or so, and it's dropped substantially since. The community then was primarily middle class, taking full advantage of the economic and education opportunities available in a rapidly modernizing Iran. Such opportunities are constrained today, especially with Iran's troubled economy. There were at least hundreds of Israelis then working in the country, including many advisors, trainers and technicians. All had to flee after the Shah's overthrow. The Israeli station (embassy in all but name) was turned over to the Palestinians. The Jews were then free to teach their traditions without government interference. Today they are numerous constraints in curriculum, class time, choice of instructors, etc. It was only a few years ago that 13 Jews were arrested on trumped up charges involving "spying" and "Zionist activity", so obviously they remain a population under constraint. But after some 2500+ years residence in Iran, the Jewish community may well outlast today's rule of the mullahs. If Iran can go through a White Revolution without war, a new Iran-Israel alliance isn't beyond reason. In the meantime, we can only wish the community well, and support them as best we can. But take anything its "leaders" say with a grain of salt.

Why are Iranian Jews being spoken of as some missing "Jewish link"? Some people sound confident of their welfare in the 'Islamic Republic'. Others, are grossly pessimistic of their safety. Whatever the case may be, perhaps some Iranian Jew should try and make his/her voice heard, or maybe someone from their reps in the Iranian parliament should come and speak up about how well they are, no?

#17 - If what you say is true, and I have no reason to believe it's not, I'd be careful to use an internet anonymizer service when you post so you can't be tracked down. (assuming you aren't already) ;)

I am sure that Iranian Jews like 99.999% of all Jews hate him. How can one respect a Holocaust Denier who promotes genocide against Israeli Jews. Jews in Moslem countries Egypt, Iraq etc had to play the game to survive.

Say whatever you will about him, this president has more b---s than any and all of the leaders in the western world or in Israel. If you actually heard his speech (you can go to you tube very simply) then you'd know that what he said was intelligent and made sense. He was brave and smart to go into western territory, to a famous academic campus, and speak reasonably. The pathetic truth of the matter is that this man is what makes your news each and every day. People such as Terry from Eilat hasten, in such flowery prose, to condemn each and every feature of Arab and/or Islamic culture without having any real conception of what they are all about. But behind all the sophistication and air of superiority lies a very impoverished and bilious view of humanity and other cultures. It is people like that who express outraged disbelief at other talkbackers such as number two, or who simply cant comprehend that someone pro-Arab may, indeed, be from the west and not be hiding behind a false name. But as the Arab saying goes: "if you pound water, it will remain water"

I think its no different than the Iranians holding signs"down with US". People need not to forget that the American people doesnt know the real truth.

Reminds me of the Russian Jew waiting to go to Israel. Lost his home, car, family and job. Finally, sitting on a tiny suitcase at 3 a.m. when 2 guys from the kgb claiming to be the mailmen. After questioning him for hours about how good it was in the USSR, one asked,"If everything was so great, why do you want to go to Israel?" He answered, "I'm only looking to live in a place where they don't distribute the mail at 3 a.m." I suppose the same holds true for the "free" Iranian Jews. I feel sorry for them, but this is the reason we say the "Kol Nidre".

These words are meaningful and don't reflect the truth of the matter. Iranian Jews in the days of the Shah visited Israel and contributed financially to its institutions. Only a fool would think their sudden reversal to hardline anti-Zionist rhetoric came about as a loving embrace of the Islamic Republic in 1979. For Persian Cat and other apologists, Iranian Jews cannot freely speak their minds in Iran about politics or Israel. They are under heavy pressure by the government to conform to the official line. I know this because a Jewish family who prays at my synagogue did escape this nightmare of a country told the horrible stories of all the regime does to the Jewish community, such as forcing them to chant "death to Israel" at the Jewish school and making them attend classes on Shabbat, when its supposed to be a day of rest. As for Mottamed, he is a hand-picked appointee by the government, who does their bidding and nominally represents the Jewish community. Anything he says is what the government demands he says.

only about 30,000 are left. The numbers don't lie, people- over 80% of the Iranian Jewish community has voted with their feet.

What will be their position once the Islamist regime is removed and they no longer have to follow the rules dhimmis most follow in order to survive? In accordance with the rules of dhimmitude, these people must say things in support of the regime, along with other rules that make it clear that they are not even considered human. Don't hold it against them, they are simply trying to live where they have lived for a long time.