JTF.ORG Forum
Israel => Save Israel => Topic started by: nopeaceforland on December 25, 2007, 04:31:26 PM
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Iranian Jews Arrive in Israel
Tuesday, December 25, 2007 3:18 PM EST
The Associated Press
By RORY KRESS
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Greeted by joyous relatives and a crowd of reporters, about 40 Iranian Jews landed in Israel on Tuesday, leaving behind their lives in the Islamic Republic for new homes in the Jewish state.
Family members screamed in delight and threw candy at the newcomers as they emerged into the airport reception hall after a long bureaucratic procedure. No details about their route of exit from Iran were given.
"I feel so good," said Yosef, 16. He and his brother Michael arrived with their parents and a sister and were greeted by their grandparents, who went to Israel six years ago.
"I just saw all of my family. You can't put that into words," Yosef said. The brothers declined to give their family name to protect relatives still in Iran.
The new arrivals were sponsored by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a charity that funnels millions of dollars from evangelical donors each year.
Its founder, Rabbi Yehiel Eckstein, said by telephone from Chicago that each immigrant received $10,000 because they left behind all their possessions and "start in Israel with nothing," although many said at the airport that they were joining family already here.
Evangelical backers of Israel say they are following a biblical prophecy that creation of a Jewish state here is a step toward the Messianic Age. Some Israeli critics saying their ultimate goal is to convert Jews to Christianity, which the evangelicals deny.
Michael, 15, said he told all his friends where he was going, and they wanted to come along.
"I was scared in Iran as a Jew," he said.
No comment was available Tuesday from the Iranian government.
Iran's Jewish community of about 25,000 people is protected by the country's constitution and remains the largest in the Muslim Middle East. Synagogues, Jewish schools and stores operate openly in the capital but Jews also report discrimination and increasing concerns about hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's hostility toward Israel.
About 200 Iranian Jews arrived in Israel this year, more than any other year since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, said Michael Jankelowitz, spokesman for the quasi-governmental Jewish Agency, which deals with immigration.
Benjamin Yakobi, 16, has lived in Israel seven years. Waiting for his cousin, he said Israel is safer than Iran.
"Here we are all Jewish, and we are not worried that someone will do something," he said.
"I'm in heaven," gushed Avraham Dayan, 63, waiting for his son, daughter-in-law and grandson to arrive. He said he had not seen his 38-year-old son in 11 years, missing his son's wedding and the birth of his grandson.
The newcomers were also mobbed by Israeli reporters and TV camera crews. Their arrival was the top story on the evening newscast of Israel's Channel 2 TV. TV pictures broadcast locally did not show their faces, reflecting concern that publicity could lead to harm of Jews still in Iran.
Meir Javedanfar, an Israeli analyst whose family emigrated from Iran in the 1980s, said Jews are generally free to practice their religion inside Iran, but are increasingly concerned about the intensity of attacks on Israel by the Iranian press, which they view as bordering on anti-Semitism, he said.
But Eckstein warned that the situation facing Iranian Jews is critical because of the attitude of Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly called for the disappearance of Israel. Despite a recent U.S. intelligence report that found Iran has stopped its nuclear weapons program, Israel believes Iran is still trying to build a nuclear bomb.
"By the time they realize it's not going to blow over, it'll be too late," Eckstein said. All it needs is a U.S. or Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear program for them to come down strong on the local Jewish population."
In 2000, Iranian authorities arrested 10 Jews, convicted them of spying for Israel and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from four to 13 years. An appeals court later reduced their sentences under international pressure and eventually freed them.
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Wonderful!
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That is so good. O0 Only takes a few for others to follow :)
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Re: "...The new arrivals were sponsored by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a charity that funnels millions of dollars from evangelical donors each year..."
All well and good, but I am most curious about something, and perhaps others here can provide the answer.
There was a time when the Israeli Government sent out emissaries all over the world, in hopes of furthering its goal of "the ingathering of the Exiles".
Has Israel completely stopped any official aliyah appeals?
The only groups I hear about today who are assisting Jews to return to Eretz Yisrael are Christian organizations which believe in Zionism.
Where is the Israeli Government today?
Is it really as it would appear; a government of traitors who long ago abandoned the idea of Jewish return, and now are only interested in "selling out" as fast as they can prior to catching flights to L.A. & NY City?
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Great we can't let Jews live in Muslim Terror States
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We have a lot of Iranian Jews here in the states. They've been steadily coming in since the jimmy carter revolution of 79.
Brian
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Re: "...The new arrivals were sponsored by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a charity that funnels millions of dollars from evangelical donors each year..."
All well and good, but I am most curious about something, and perhaps others here can provide the answer.
There was a time when the Israeli Government sent out emissaries all over the world, in hopes of furthering its goal of "the ingathering of the Exiles".
Has Israel completely stopped any official aliyah appeals? I believe most organizations today are catered to the temporary re-location of Jews to Eretz on "educational" tours: The first Jew gives money to the second Jew who pays for the third Jew to go to Eretz..... JAZO is a token organization to aid Jews making Aliyah but I do not believe they do outreach programs..
The only groups I hear about today who are assisting Jews to return to Eretz Yisrael are Christian organizations which believe in Zionism. I agree, because sadly most Jews today are "Jews" or they are the Hassidim who do not believe in Zionism and prefer the Galute Ghetto...imo
Where is the Israeli Government today? Progressing Socialism, "multi-culturalism", Arab-/Muslim outreach programs and actively undermining their own people, land and culture.
Is it really as it would appear; a government of traitors who long ago abandoned the idea of Jewish return, and now are only interested in "selling out" as fast as they can prior to catching flights to L.A. & NY City? Sadly, you hit it spot on...imo... :'(
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You guys, I would like to share something with you.
I have an Iranian born observant Jewish brother in law who LOVED Yitzkhak Rabin, who is in favor of Israel giving up land to the Arabs, and who is an Islamophile (you know...some people are Anglophiles, some people are Francophiles, etc.) He thinks Rabbi Kahane was a "religious fanatic," and is horrified that I admire him.
Anyway, when he heard the news of this organization that helped those 40 Jews get into Israel from Iran, he got very angry. He actually called up Rabbi Yehiel Eckstein and chewed him up over the phone. He was like "how dare you, Iranians aren't bad people, they're not enemies of the Jews, Ahmadinejad is no Hitler," etc.
He also said to me flat out that Iran is the second Zion, and that there must be a Jewish presence there.
Now mind you, this is coming from a man who told me two weeks earlier that he would gladly go back to live in Iran, as there is too much freedom in America.
So what do you say to someone like this? The man is married to my sister, so I can't quite tell him to just leave if he hates America so much. Actually, I think I'll ask Chaim about this in the next Ask JTF show.
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You guys, I would like to share something with you.
I have an Iranian born observant Jewish brother in law who LOVED Yitzkhak Rabin, who is in favor of Israel giving up land to the Arabs, and who is an Islamophile (you know...some people are Anglophiles, some people are Francophiles, etc.) He thinks Rabbi Kahane was a "religious fanatic," and is horrified that I admire him.
Anyway, when he heard the news of this organization that helped those 40 Jews get into Israel from Iran, he got very angry. He actually called up Rabbi Yehiel Eckstein and chewed him up over the phone. He was like "how dare you, Iranians aren't bad people, they're not enemies of the Jews, Ahmadinejad is no Hitler," etc.
He also said to me flat out that Iran is the second Zion, and that there must be a Jewish presence there.
Now mind you, this is coming from a man who told me two weeks earlier that he would gladly go back to live in Iran, as there is too much freedom in America.
So what do you say to someone like this? The man is married to my sister, so I can't quite tell him to just leave if he hates America so much. Actually, I think I'll ask Chaim about this in the next Ask JTF show.
Very sad actually to have an observant Jew so ignorant as you state. Perhaps you might purchase one of Kahane's books: "Why Be Jewish?" and tell him to read it. If he finds anything "extreme" in any of Kahane's works that isn't truthful Judaism your brother will be very alarmed.
Perhaps you might introduce him to some of the videos by Robert Spencer on You Tube? Perhaps you might introduce him to the specificities of Socialism of which Yitzak Rabin was whole heartedly a follower. Or better, get him the book "Perfidy" by Ben Hecht to open his eyes to the realities.... Does he know that Rabin was a drunk and a murderer who also supplied arms, weapons and funding to the Anti-Jew Arab savages? Boy oh boy. Www.AMBOR.Org
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You guys, I would like to share something with you.
I have an Iranian born observant Jewish brother in law who LOVED Yitzkhak Rabin, who is in favor of Israel giving up land to the Arabs, and who is an Islamophile (you know...some people are Anglophiles, some people are Francophiles, etc.) He thinks Rabbi Kahane was a "religious fanatic," and is horrified that I admire him.
Anyway, when he heard the news of this organization that helped those 40 Jews get into Israel from Iran, he got very angry. He actually called up Rabbi Yehiel Eckstein and chewed him up over the phone. He was like "how dare you, Iranians aren't bad people, they're not enemies of the Jews, Ahmadinejad is no Hitler," etc.
He also said to me flat out that Iran is the second Zion, and that there must be a Jewish presence there.
Now mind you, this is coming from a man who told me two weeks earlier that he would gladly go back to live in Iran, as there is too much freedom in America.
So what do you say to someone like this? The man is married to my sister, so I can't quite tell him to just leave if he hates America so much. Actually, I think I'll ask Chaim about this in the next Ask JTF show.
Lisa that is how many of them think, its very common. Trying to get them to understand the Muslims will harm them is very differcult.
They have a culture that goes back thousands of years, its like some saying to US Jews the USA will harm them.
They are not bad people but need a little more leading than others.
We spend countless resoucres on these people, and at one stage we were going to pull out. But how is that going to help the Jews as a whole? it wont so we remain.
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We have a lot of Iranian Jews here in the states. They've been steadily coming in since the jimmy carter revolution of 79.
Brian
Some of them most be righteous though? ;) O0
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Great we can't let Jews live in Muslim Terror States
Exactly. No Jew should live in any Muslim Nazi country.
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You guys, I would like to share something with you.
I have an Iranian born observant Jewish brother in law who LOVED Yitzkhak Rabin, who is in favor of Israel giving up land to the Arabs, and who is an Islamophile (you know...some people are Anglophiles, some people are Francophiles, etc.) He thinks Rabbi Kahane was a "religious fanatic," and is horrified that I admire him.
Anyway, when he heard the news of this organization that helped those 40 Jews get into Israel from Iran, he got very angry. He actually called up Rabbi Yehiel Eckstein and chewed him up over the phone. He was like "how dare you, Iranians aren't bad people, they're not enemies of the Jews, Ahmadinejad is no Hitler," etc.
He also said to me flat out that Iran is the second Zion, and that there must be a Jewish presence there.
Now mind you, this is coming from a man who told me two weeks earlier that he would gladly go back to live in Iran, as there is too much freedom in America.
So what do you say to someone like this? The man is married to my sister, so I can't quite tell him to just leave if he hates America so much. Actually, I think I'll ask Chaim about this in the next Ask JTF show.
Lisa that is how many of them think, its very common. Trying to get them to understand the Muslims will harm them is very differcult.
They have a culture that goes back thousands of years, its like some saying to US Jews the USA will harm them.
They are not bad people but need a little more leading than others.
We spend countless resoucres on these people, and at one stage we were going to pull out. But how is that going to help the Jews as a whole? it wont so we remain.
Do you think the US will harm its Jews Skippy? It's already harming Israel... Wait when Bush and Obama/Hitlery will bancrupt America Who will be blamed? Ahmedijinad the Monkey tolerate them becouse: 1) They vital along the christian Armenians for Iran strugling economy 2) to anger A-rabs who kicked out them in fifties 3) To show the western public opinion that he's only against zionism not an antisemitic [censored] he is 4) To have potential living shields/hostages. Neither of this reasons are any good for Iranian Jews.