In an interview with a pro-regime newspaper, Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, the lone Jewish representative in the Iranian parliament, sparked outrage with harsh statements regarding Israel, declaring that "we are Iranians before we are Jews, and our Iranian identity is more important than our Jewish identity."
Najafabadi, known for his repeated anti-Israel and anti-Zionist remarks, went even further this time, comparing Zionism to the terrorist organization ISIS.
“The relationship between Zionism and Judaism is separate,” he argued, adding, “We do not recognize Zionism as a religion, and we compare it to the relationship between the Taliban, ISIS, and Islam.”
The parliamentary representative attempted to emphasize the Iranian Jewish community's loyalty to the regime, stating, "Since the start of the revolution, the Jewish community's position has been to condemn the crimes of the Zionist regime, and we have always been loyal to the regime."
He also claimed that since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, "no member of the Iranian Jewish community has been arrested for espionage on behalf of any foreign country."
Najafabadi expressed full solidarity with Iran's foreign policy, stating, "Any country that attacks Iran's territorial integrity will be condemned by all layers of society, including the Jewish community."
The Jewish community in Iran currently has about 15,000 members, scattered across various cities in the country, including Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Yazd, Rafsanjan, and Miandavoud.
Although it is considered the largest Jewish community in the Middle East outside of Israel, it lives under significant restrictions and constant political pressure. Najafabadi's statements reflect the complex reality of Jews in Iran, who are required to demonstrate absolute loyalty to the regime and publicly condemn Israel in order to maintain their status and security in the country.