Iranian Jewish leader renews attacks on Israel after threats against Trump, Netanyahu
Rabbi Younes Hamami Lalehzar, a leader of Iran's Jewish community, has publicly attacked Israel and called for the deaths of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. These statements are widely interpreted as reflecting the Iranian government's official stance.
Why it matters
The rhetoric highlights the complex and often coerced position of religious minorities within Iran and the ongoing geopolitical tensions between Iran, Israel, and the U.S.
A senior leader of Iran's Jewish community renewed his attacks on Israel in an interview with Iranian state media over the weekend, days after publicly calling for the killing of U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rabbi Younes Hamami Lalehzar, one of the most prominent rabbis in Iran's Jewish community, accused Israel of killing children, claimed many Jews around the world oppose Zionism and pointed to ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel who do not serve in the military as evidence of Jewish opposition to the Israeli government. His latest remarks followed comments last week at a conference in Tehran, where he invoked biblical passages while calling for the killing of Trump and Netanyahu in retaliation for the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the recent war.
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