Under pressure, second-class Iranian Jews endorse radical candidate Ghalibaf for president

Iran’s tiny Jewish community in Tehran issued its support for parliament speaker and presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in an effort to prove their unconditional loyalty to a regime that forces them subscribe to an anti-Israel agenda.

The prominent Iranian-American writer Roya Hakakian posted a photograph and message on X on Monday, stating: “This is what election circus looks like in Tehran. Members of the Jewish community need to play their part so they can appear as invested citizens. 'Iranian Jewish community endorses Ghalibaf.‘“

This is what election circus looks like in Tehran. Members of the Jewish community need to play their part so they can appear as invested citizens. “Iranian Jewish community endorses Ghalibaf.” pic.twitter.com/cu6GXVZj3g

— Roya Hakakian (@RoyaTheWriter) June 25, 2024

Beni Sabti, who was born in Tehran and is an Iran expert for the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, told the Jerusalem Post that the “The Jewish community has never come out for a candidate. This is the first time I have seen something like this.”

He said the picture that Hakakian posted on X shows a “place of gathering to promote Ghalibaf.” He noted the Jews are active for Ghalibaf, one of the more conservative candidates on a spectrum of contenders who have all pledged their loyalty to the anti-American and antisemitic policies of  the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The Washington DC-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) wrote on its website that “On June 15, 2024, as the Hajj pilgrimage takes place in Mecca, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei published on his X account a post featuring the Iranian regime slogan ‘Death to Israel’ seven times – seven being the number of times pilgrims walk around the Kaaba in Mecca during Hajj.”

Sabti views the role of Iranian Jews in mainstreaming the Islamic Republic’s election as “another demonstration against Israel.” He continued “It is like they are acting in a play. They are actors.”

He continued that the small Jewish community seeks to show they  “are more Iranian than Iranians. They need to prove their loyalty “ to the  clerical regime. He added that the "Jewish community in Iran is going to put for the first time five ballot voting locations for elections in five synagogues and call on the Jewish community to come and vote for the new president." He said this the first time that the Iranian Jewish community has promoted the election of the president and opened synagogues in Tehran for the purpose of casting ballots.

Election in Iran slated for June 28

The presidential election is slated for June 28 and most Iran experts view it as a sham contest restricted to candidates hand-picked by the dictator Khamenei. Iranian women can’t run for president.

The independent London-based news organization Iran International reported that Ghalibaf recently bragged about his role in Iran's missile program, declaring the underground “Missile Cities’ that "were recently used in Iran's attack on Israel" was one of the accomplishments of when he served as commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force.

Ghalibaf was a former commander of the US-sanctioned Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Sabti said the Iranian Jews are supporting Ghalibaf because he is conservative and it is a way of showing loyalty  to retain the status quo.

According to Sabti, the decision by the Jewish community to host candidate representatives for pre-election presentations is another sign that the Jews feel they need to “obey” the regime and demonstrate “loyalty” to the Islamic regime. He said the June 23 meeting, where representatives of the candidates were present, has never happened in the past.

According to the website Jewish Virtual Library, “The Jews live under the status of dhimmi, with the restrictions imposed on religious minorities. Jewish leaders fear government reprisals if they draw attention to the official mistreatment of their community. Iran’s official government-controlled media often issue anti-Semitic propaganda.”

Prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, there were as many as 100,000 Jews living in Iran. The majority fled Iran after revolutionary Islamists seized power. Iran’s regime has accelerated its crackdown on Iranian Jews since the Iranian regime-backed Hamas terrorist movement invaded Israel on October 7 that slaughtered nearly 1,200 people and kidnapped over 250 individuals.

Iran International reported in October on rising pressure on Tehran’s Jewish community to blast Israel for its war against Hamas.