Iranian blogger Neda Amin, who arrived in Israel last Thursday after being threatened with deportation to Iran from Turkey, will tomorrow (Tuesday, August 15) begin intensive Hebrew classes as part of The Jewish Agency for Israel’s flagship Ulpan Etzion program in Jerusalem.
Arutz Sheva publicized Amin's plight prominently in an article saying time is running out and calling for activism to save her after Uzay Bulut, a former resident of Turkey who writes op-eds on the situation there for Arutz Sheva, explained Amin's story.
Amin was granted asylum in Israel after being threatened with deportation from Turkey back to Iran, where it was clear that she would be sentenced to death for having a blog on the Times of Israel website.
In a letter sent by Achiya Ginossar, Chairman of the Journalists' Union in Jerusalem, to Interior Minister Deri, Ginossar wrote: "Nada Amin will likely be arrested immediately upon her arrival in Iran and is in danger of being executed for her journalistic work and the fact that she wrote a number of columns of opinion on the Times of Israel website in the Persian language," he said.
Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel Natan Sharansky said: “Israel was created to serve as a homeland for a persecuted people. The Jewish Agency, which has welcomed millions of Jews home to Israel, is proud to play a part in easing Neda’s integration into her country of refuge. I spoke to Neda earlier on, welcoming her to Israel and wishing her much success in her studies, and I expressed the hope that she will one day be able to return to a free Iran and contribute to the restoration of the historically close ties between our two nations.”
Hundreds of young professional immigrants from around the world join Ulpan Etzion each year, studying Hebrew, exploring opportunities for employment and academic studies, and preparing for life in their new homeland. Participants typically spend five months in the program, which offers on-campus accommodation at The Jewish Agency’s Beit Canada Immigrant Absorption Center in southern Jerusalem and in several other locations around Israel.