The last Afghan Jew lands in Israel in surprise family visit

The last known Jew from Afghanistan, Zablon Simantov, travelled to Israel from Turkey, surprising his family, Walla was told this week.

"My younger brother called me on Thursday around 9-10 p.m. and said, 'Congratulations, your brother is in Israel,'" recounted Benjamin, Simantov's brother, to Walla. "I couldn't believe what I was hearing. By Saturday night, we were already on our way to see him at the place where he's staying in southern Israel."

Sign up for our newsletter to learn more >>

Simantov's arrival in Israel was made possible with the help of the Jewish Agency after a complex rescue operation from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan three years ago, led by Moti Kahana, a well-known activist specializing in evacuations from conflict zones. After leaving Turkey, Simantov is also planning a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

"We haven't seen each other for almost 25 years. Now, he's living here in Israel. He wants to move to central Israel, and no matter what, we will be by his side," Simantov's brother added. "We will be with him on Shabbat as well. He promised us he would come to Israel, and it has finally happened."

Simantov, who is 65 years old, speaks very little Hebrew, though he is fluent in Persian, and is expected to need considerable assistance to adjust to life in Israel.

Moti Kahana, who orchestrated Simantov's rescue, has been conducting complex evacuation missions in conflict zones worldwide for the past 14 years, including operations in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria. As promised, he expressed his commitment to bringing Simantov to the Western Wall soon.

Complex rescue operation

"It wasn't easy to get him out of Afghanistan. Rabbis approached me, asking to help rescue the last Jew from there," Kahana told Walla. "They had seen my past work, evacuating Jews from Yemen and Syria, and asked me to do a favor and help get Zablon out. There were also various bureaucratic obstacles along the way."

One of the challenges Kahana mentioned was arranging a divorce for Simantov's wife, who had left the country in the 1990s. "I sent my team to pick him up, but he didn't want to leave Afghanistan," Kahana recalled.

"I've evacuated Jews from all over the world, even the most dangerous places. I'm like a 'get [Jewish divorce] in a war zone.' When we went to pick him up, he had gathered about 100 people who also wanted to leave. He insisted that either everyone goes or no one does. In the end, we took 30 people and reached the border of a neighboring country. We had to cross a river, but he refused to go until all the families had crossed first. There was a lot of pressure until we reached Turkey, where everyone wanted to make sure he was safe. He's been in Turkey for three years, and this week, he spent his first Shabbat in Israel," Kahana added.

Kahana concluded, "It took a bit of time, but this week, I plan to take him on a tour of the Western Wall in Jerusalem, just like I do with all my rescues. I'm already working on the next challenge — evacuating one Jew from Yemen and rescuing hostages from Gaza."

The Jewish Agency commented, "We are unable to discuss this specific case."

Learn how to buy your home in Israel with confidence >>