What looks like a new connection is actually the reemergence of a 2,500-year-old relationship — one now resurfacing as more Iranians begin to question the ideology that tried to erase it.
Beautiful writing, thin evidence and a pile of delusional crap.
This "reemergence of an ancient bond" involves, what, maybe less than a few hundred vocal Persians — and very quiet ones at that. I have yet to hear widespread, unambiguous Persian condemnation of Iran's proxy terror network targeting Jews across the world, or of the explosion of violent antisemitism globally. A handful of diaspora Iranians waving Israeli flags does not a movement make.
The historical parallels with Cyrus are real and meaningful — but history doesn't keep Jews safe. People do. And if the Jewish community is banking on Persian solidarity as a significant factor in our collective security, we are in serious trouble. I'll believe this is something real when I see it operating at real scale, with real voices, and real political courage — not just a compelling essay about what could be.
Will the next article try to convince us that Muslims broadly are horrified by antisemitic violence too. Let's apply the same scrutiny there. Look at every country with a large Muslim population and tell me honestly what you see — not what a few enlightened intellectuals in Western diaspora communities say, but what is actually happening on the streets, in the mosques, in the schools. Where is the outrage from Muslim leaders? Where are the Mullahs, the Imams, the heads of state standing up and unambiguously condemning violence against Jews simply because they are Jews?
The silence is not incidental. Silence at that scale, from that many leaders, across that many countries, is a statement in itself. It is clearly dangerous and must be met with a clearly unambiguous dangerous response from us Jews.
There is a great deal of truth to what you have said about Muslims in general but Iranians, not only those in the diaspora are a special case. Have you not seen the Iranian anti regime demonstrations where people are reaching out to Israel and thanking her for her help? Don’t you realize that Iranians remember the time under Shah Pahlavi when Iran and Israel lived peacefully in the same neighborhood and did business together and shared one another’s culture? That was not so long ago and is part of Iranian collective memory. It is very likely that when the present poisonous regime is toppled that the relationship between Israeli and Iran will revert back to that form.
I appreciate the pushback, and yes, I've seen the demonstrations. a few brave people, genuinely moving moments. But let's be precise here.
Name me the major diaspora Iranian leaders and organizations who came out loudly and unambiguously on October 8th condemning Hamas. Not quietly, not with 'both sides' language, not buried in a thread on X. Loudly. Publicly. Unequivocally. I'll wait.
And while we're waiting, let's address the elephant in the room: roughly 90-95% of Iranians are Shia Muslim. Shia Islam is the ideological engine behind Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the entire Iranian proxy terror network that has been targeting Jews and Israel for decades. The regime didn't impose this on an unwilling population overnight just in Iran— it has cultivated it for 45 years worldwide through mosques, schools, and state media. You don't undo that with some protest signs and a few viral videos.
The Shah's era was real. The historical friendship was real. But that was a different Iran, under a different government, with a different cultural direction. Nostalgia is not a foreign policy.
When the regime falls — if it falls — we'll see what Iranians actually choose. Until then, hope is not evidence, and demonstrations are not the same as a movement. I'll believe the 'special case' when I see it acting like one.
Tremendous writing. Thank you!
Thank you so much 🙏🏼
Beautiful writing, thin evidence and a pile of delusional crap.
This "reemergence of an ancient bond" involves, what, maybe less than a few hundred vocal Persians — and very quiet ones at that. I have yet to hear widespread, unambiguous Persian condemnation of Iran's proxy terror network targeting Jews across the world, or of the explosion of violent antisemitism globally. A handful of diaspora Iranians waving Israeli flags does not a movement make.
The historical parallels with Cyrus are real and meaningful — but history doesn't keep Jews safe. People do. And if the Jewish community is banking on Persian solidarity as a significant factor in our collective security, we are in serious trouble. I'll believe this is something real when I see it operating at real scale, with real voices, and real political courage — not just a compelling essay about what could be.
Will the next article try to convince us that Muslims broadly are horrified by antisemitic violence too. Let's apply the same scrutiny there. Look at every country with a large Muslim population and tell me honestly what you see — not what a few enlightened intellectuals in Western diaspora communities say, but what is actually happening on the streets, in the mosques, in the schools. Where is the outrage from Muslim leaders? Where are the Mullahs, the Imams, the heads of state standing up and unambiguously condemning violence against Jews simply because they are Jews?
The silence is not incidental. Silence at that scale, from that many leaders, across that many countries, is a statement in itself. It is clearly dangerous and must be met with a clearly unambiguous dangerous response from us Jews.
There is a great deal of truth to what you have said about Muslims in general but Iranians, not only those in the diaspora are a special case. Have you not seen the Iranian anti regime demonstrations where people are reaching out to Israel and thanking her for her help? Don’t you realize that Iranians remember the time under Shah Pahlavi when Iran and Israel lived peacefully in the same neighborhood and did business together and shared one another’s culture? That was not so long ago and is part of Iranian collective memory. It is very likely that when the present poisonous regime is toppled that the relationship between Israeli and Iran will revert back to that form.
I appreciate the pushback, and yes, I've seen the demonstrations. a few brave people, genuinely moving moments. But let's be precise here.
Name me the major diaspora Iranian leaders and organizations who came out loudly and unambiguously on October 8th condemning Hamas. Not quietly, not with 'both sides' language, not buried in a thread on X. Loudly. Publicly. Unequivocally. I'll wait.
And while we're waiting, let's address the elephant in the room: roughly 90-95% of Iranians are Shia Muslim. Shia Islam is the ideological engine behind Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the entire Iranian proxy terror network that has been targeting Jews and Israel for decades. The regime didn't impose this on an unwilling population overnight just in Iran— it has cultivated it for 45 years worldwide through mosques, schools, and state media. You don't undo that with some protest signs and a few viral videos.
The Shah's era was real. The historical friendship was real. But that was a different Iran, under a different government, with a different cultural direction. Nostalgia is not a foreign policy.
When the regime falls — if it falls — we'll see what Iranians actually choose. Until then, hope is not evidence, and demonstrations are not the same as a movement. I'll believe the 'special case' when I see it acting like one.