But, with the political atmosphere as it is, what else could he say and live?

The "Iranian revolution" has created hell on earth for all minorities

Well if you are Jewish you should maybe read the Torah at times. If you do you will find that all Jews are supposed to have a relation to Israel.

Do these Iranian jews really have any choice?

Nothing that comes out of Iran is true. he cannot say anything else..him and his family and the enitre jewish pop would suffer. Its all BS i am sure they are coutning the days until the can leave Iran for good! Or before Israel wipes it off the map.

didn't! its easy to sit in free countries and expect Jews who live under the rule of Islamic fascism say what is right. one Moslem clergy who had dared to protest against their fascist regim was put in jail and tortured. He was so badly tortured that in order to be freed he had to go on TV and 'confess' that he didn't even knew how to read the Quran?!! someting that even a little child can do. His many followers didn't dare to do a thing. (some of them were also arrested) now you expect this Jewish representative endanger himself and his people in the hands of a regim that invites Neo-Nazi leaders and other fanmous racist and fascist leaders to its anti-Israel conferences? This poor man is also dealing with 70 million illiterate people in his country.

Iranian Jews are as Iranian as one can get. They have survived Alexander's invasion, the Arabs invasion and Islamization, the Mongols invasion, etc. Iranian Jews are not alone in denouncing the Zionists' inhumane treatment of the Palestinians there are many other Jews as well as the world majority who condemn Zionist Apartheid regime and its crimes against humanity. What is that you guys are celebrating? Lack of peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, Apartheid, occupation land grab???

in Iran there are groups who are not protected by sharia law, and these include the Bahai and the Ahmadi Muslims--and they are fair game for the medievalsts who run the country

Or of course he may be saying exactly what he thinks and believes. Judaism, after all, is a religion and not a nationality or race so perhaps this man may feel Iranian first and Jewish second. And your anecdote about Moslem clergy being imprisoned? Who, where and when did this happen? Similar to the Israeli scientist who was imprisoned for decades for talking about israel's illegal WMDs. Or what about the thousands of Palestinians held under detention without trial or charge? Or the thousands of disappeared muslims around the world who are routinely tortured by (primarilly) the US in order to 'cough up' useless information.

you are a hypocrit, give Khusestan back to the rightful owners

live under constant fear and in a big prison of their own. this poor blameless jew in iran was used as a pawn for ahmadinejaad's anti israel vile propaganda. he was warned that should he not go against israel, there will be repercusions in his jewish community and temple. anyone can see clearly that this man was saying these things ar gun point. say this or die! my parents were some of the 75% of jews that escaped iran and their stories as well as the poor bahaii's stories are horenduous at what they suffered under this present regime. this one man and some other sounsands were the unlucky ones that could not leave because they had better economic situation and were loath to leave all their successes behind so that the iranian mullahs could confiscate their properties and businesses as all the arab nations did when they expelled their jews in the 50's. shame on this regime for using a defensless population for their nefarious agenda against israel. if this jew was so happy, why did 75% of his community run away? maybe they new something he failed to realize? additionally, most of this jewish community in iran is older. their young kids fled to israel, los angeles and the west.

You obviously don't live in Iran. What people say publically verses behind closed doors in Iran is very different. This man could be arrested, tortured and imprisoned for expressing support for Israel. He's a member of a minority group with a diminished population. They live as dhimmis under Islam and serve as poster girls and boys so Ahmadinejad can boast about his Jewish community. Iranian Jewish communities flourish once they leave Iran. And what do you say about the crimes against humanity committed by Ahmadinejad's repressive Islamic regime against the entire Iranian population?

If this man has such concern for the Philistines ,i think he should show concern for people in his own country .Why does'nt he speak up about the persecution of the Bahai's? I'll tell you because he would end up in prison or dead.This isPure Persian propaganda

............under tremendous pressure from Ahmadinejad............... Can't blame him........ Or.............. He will be hanged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Iran has no history of ethnic cleansing. Iran has not cleansed its religious nor ethnic minorities. There's suppression of civil and human rights by the government, to be sure, but that is applied across the board and has nothing to do with religion nor ethnicity. Who do you think lives in Khuzestan?

The current Iranian Jewish rep, Mr. Motamed, did object to Ahmadinejad's remarks in about the Holocaust - you can google it. He's still there and no body "arrested, tortured and imprisoned" him. Living as "dhimmis" under Islam is well understood and many Arab "citizens" of the "Jewish" state of Israel will tell you their situation is far inferior, economically and socially, comapred to the Iranian Jews. I am curious, how do YOU know what Iranians say behind closed doors?!!! I am sure some Jews just like some Muslims "flourish" once they leave Iran, but no one is holding Iranian Jews in Iran against their will. The ones who have stayed simply do not want to give up their ancestoral homeland to become second class citzens in Zionistan.

Unlike Israel, Iran has a constitution that guarantees equal rights and protections for all of its citizens. . Discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities that is so common in Israel illegal in Iran under article 19 of the Iranian Constitution. Article 19 All people of Iran, whatever the ethnic group or tribe to which they belong, enjoy equal rights; and color, race, language, and the like, do not bestow any privilege.

I said nothing about the Holocaust. Can I also "google it" and find out what Mr. Motamed said about support for Israel? No because he knows better and must denounce Israel to keep his political position and assure the safety of his family. The Arab Israeli population is growing not declining and their economic and social situation is much better than that of Arabs in other Arab/Muslim countries. They also don't have to contend with the religious police that patrol the streets of Iran and arrest people for no reason. Are the Jews of Iran free to leave to Israel. The answer is no. Ahmadinejad has placed Iran under a microscope and people who travel in and out of Iran talk about their experiences. The Iranian people are paranoid and with good reason. The Islamic Regime monitors them very closely. Isn't that true or is it uncomfortable for you to say anything negative about Iran?

seeing how you are nicely located in Stockholm, Sweden. BTW, do you go out on the street with Israeli flags and have demonstrations through Arab neighborhoods (if these exist in Sweden)?

Millions less Arabs than before Iranian ethnic cleansing

Their constiution can promise anything but the fact remains that there has been overwelming persecution by the Iranian government against their Jewish, Bahai, Kurdish, and Arab minorities. If things were so great for the jews in Iran, why the hell do you think they got out of Dodge? Remember a few years ago when all those Iranian Jews were falsely imprisoned for "spying for Israel?"

Last I checked, solidarity with Israel was not what makes people Jewish. I know plenty of anti-Zionist Jews - they're just as Jewish as people neutral or friendly towards Zionism, they just take stances that either returning to Israel before HaShem provides a new temple is wrong, or hold that the modern state of Israel's treatment of non-Jews and details of its founding is/were unethical and are ashamed their people have disgraced themselves with that. Regardless of whether you agree with either perspective, the point remains that not all Jews are Zionist, and it's delusional to assume that Persian Jews necessarily have a gun to their head - they may simply not have been affected much by Zionism as a political movement. Before the founding of modern Israel and shortly after, there were widespread debates over this matter, with large numbers, from the Jewish Labour Bund to many Haredi groups, rejecting Zionism. Don't dismiss them, and don't assume everyone has accepted what's become dogma in many circles.

islamic paradise form earlier 170.000 jews residing in Persia before 1979 ?

A lot of people including Muslims, Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians and Baha'i, etc., left Iran for various reasons mainly for disliking the regime. Except for the Baha'i whose religion is not recognized as "official" and thus persecuted, no one was/is forced to leave. The remaining Iranian Jews can leave if they wish so - some travel to Israel to visit family members who have been stupid enough to emigrate to Israel. What people need to realize is that the Iranian Jews have lived there for thousands of years even before the Arabs "brought" Islam to Iran. The Iranian Jews are not bunch of emigrant nor refugees, Iran is their ancestral homeland. Iran is sure not "paradise" but it IS some peoples homeland. The fact that Iranians Jews want no part of the Zionist occupation, Apartheid and land grab is to their credit. Not every Jewish person has bought the Zionist racist dream.

The Bahai represent the largest minority religion in Iran and they also have an established history in Iran. Now they are being ethnically cleansed and persecuted because the Regime does not recognize them. This sounds familiar. By the way, the Bahai have the most beautiful temple in Haifa. Your statement the Iranian Jews want no part of Israel is not based on fact. You don't really know what they think because they cannot speak freely. No one in Iran can nor are they able to obtain a passport to Israel. Iran is a homeland for Iranian Jews but Ahmadinejad is doing his best to alienate them with his threats against Israel and Holocaust denial.

Fact remains, from 175.000 Persian Jews 25.000 are left, that says it all YOu are in no position to judge about Israel unless you have come once to visit, getting your information from IRNA and Al Jazeera brings you to this delusional state of mind and knowledge.

a huge problem with the Zionist Apartheid policies of the rulers of Israel. The Israel that I would respect is the one that would have lived withing its international borders as determined in 1948 - that means no settlements created by the Zionist jihadi terrorists. Israel should also compensate those who were forced out of their homes and made refugees - the same way the Holocaust survivors demand and receive compensation from Germany for Nazi crimes. I gain most of my info about Israel from the Israeli press just because the Iranian press is basically worthless. I do work with Israelis on high tech issues all the time. Therefore I know about Israel more than you think but I am not sure you know about Iran and Iranians very much. You have basically let Ahmadinejad to cloud your judgments and that's exactly what he wants.

You work with Israelis and read the Israeli press so you see Israelis as human beings but still cling to this "Zionist Apartheid" nonsense. Maybe you're afraid Ahmadinejad's mullahs will find you. Israel will never return to '48 or '67 borders and there is no reason or motivation for them to stop building. Obviously the Palestinians don't care either because they make no effort to resolve the conflict, only perpetuate it. Ahmadinejad encourages them to fight but gives the Palestinians no financial aid. He uses them like the rest of the Arab leaders. Most of the Arabs left Israel in '47-'48 because Arab leaders told them to and promised they could return after they destroyed Israel. They underestimated the Jewish will to survive. It's the Arab leaders who owe the Arabs compensation for misleading them. It's also unfortunate Iranians have Ahmadinejad as their leader. They could play a positive role in the ME. Ahmadinejad is a primative medieval baffoon who suffocates the people. He leads through fear and repression. I'm assuming the people resent him and behind closed doors, they plan for his demise. Seems the best people of Iran are either locked up in prison or they were lucky to escape to the West.

"The Israel that I would respect is the one that would have lived withing its international borders as determined in 1948 - that means no settlements created by the Zionist jihadi terrorists." What is so hard about admitting that the Muslims started the war in 1948 from which came the refugee problem came?

back by war, or be exchanged for peace. The Arabs started the 48 war and lost it simply because they were incompetent and as usual divided. The refugee "problem" must be sold in one of those ways. It's Israel's choice. War or peace, the Israeli people must decide.