Iranian Jews Say No To $10,000 Offer To Immigrate To Israel

[mohammed farah]

Tehran, Iran (AHN) - Amid conflicting reports, the Society of Iranian Jews issued a statement on saying that they have not been offered money to move to Israel and they wouldn't go if that offer were made. That statement was made following reports that wealthy Jews of Iranian descent had collected money and that they were offering the approximately 20,000 Iranian Jews $10,000 to relocate to Israel.

"The Iranian Jews are the oldest Iranians, and if a group has embarked on immigration, it is not an issue separate from other normal migrations by other Iranians," the statement read in part, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported.

Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency took full advantage of the situation. They reported on Thursday that Iran's Jews had no interest in moving to the occupied territories of Israel because they enjoyed "full religious freedom in Iran."

IRNA also noted that that Iranian Jews are among the oldest group of Iranians and have a love of their distinctive culture and Iranian identity.

The cash incentives, which were doubled from their previous level, were offered with the full support of the Israeli government after the lower amounts failed to bring a flood of Jewish immigrants out from Israel's enemy, Iran.

But Iranian Jews claim that the offer puts pressure on them to prove their loyalty and is also insulting.

"It suggests the Iranian Jew can be encouraged to emigrate by money," said Iran's sole Jewish MP, Morris Motamed, according to Britain's Guardian Unlimited, on Thursday. "Iran's Jews have always been free to emigrate and three-quarters of them did so after the revolution but 70% of those went to America, not Israel."

Jews have lived in Iran since at least 700 BC. At the time of the 1979 Islamic revolution, there were 80,000 Jews there. But at 20,000 today, that still means more Jews live in Iran than in any other Middle East nation except for Israel.

Source: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7007890306

[Zman]

:sl:/Peace To All

Iran's Jews Reject Cash Offer To Move To Israel

· Expats Offer Families £30,000 To Emigrate

· Our identity is not for sale, say community leaders

By Robert Tait in Tehran
Thursday July 12, 2007
Guardian

Iran's Jews have given the country a loyalty pledge in the face of cash offers aimed at encouraging them to move to Israel, the arch-enemy of its Islamic rulers.

The incentives — ranging from £5,000 a person to £30,000 for families — were offered from a special fund established by wealthy expatriate Jews in an effort to prompt a mass migration to Israel from among Iran's 25,000-strong Jewish community.

The offers were made with Israel's official blessing and were additional to the usual state packages it provides to Jews emigrating from the diaspora.

However, the Society of Iranian Jews dismissed them as "immature political enticements" and said their national identity was not for sale.

"The identity of Iranian Jews is not tradeable for any amount of money," the society said in a statement.

"Iranian Jews are among the most ancient Iranians. Iran's Jews love their Iranian identity and their culture, so threats and this immature political enticement will not achieve their aim of wiping out the identity of Iranian Jews."

The Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv reported that the incentives had been doubled after earlier offers of £2,500 a head failed to attract any Iranian Jews to leave for Israel.

Iran's sole Jewish MP, Morris Motamed, said the offers were insulting and put the country's Jews under pressure to prove their loyalty.

"It suggests the Iranian Jew can be encouraged to emigrate by money," he said.

"Iran's Jews have always been free to emigrate and three-quarters of them did so after the revolution but 70% of those went to America, not Israel."

Iran's Jewish population has dwindled from around 80,000 at the time of the 1979 Islamic revolution but remains the largest of any country in the Middle East apart from Israel. Jews have lived in Iran since at least 700BC.

Jews generally avoid political controversy, but Mr Motamed wrote a letter of protest to Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, last year after he called the Holocaust "a myth".

...Jews are free to practise their religion and have their own schools, although they are forced to open on Saturdays, the Jewish sabbath.

Despite the absence of diplomatic ties with Israel, Iranian Jews frequently go there to visit relatives.

Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2125155,00.html

[queefer]

Yeah, and...

[mohammed farah]

What you mean "yeah and...." Thats it. What else are you expecting? Have you even read all of it?

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[Trumble]

the Society of Iranian Jews issued a statement on saying that they have not been offered money to move to Israel

But Iranian Jews claim that the offer puts pressure on them to prove their loyalty and is also insulting.

Huh? How can they both claim there was no offer and then that it was insulting?

BTW.. is there any reliable source that the Iranian Jews were being, encouraged shall we say, to emigrate to the "occupied territories of Israel rather than Israel proper? I think the difference is very significant as to how the world would view this story.

[Zman]

:sl:

We have 2 threads in this section about the same topic (the other thread wasn't here yesterday).

Since the other thread has more responses and seems to have been posted somewhere else, then moved here, can the mods close mine (since it was posted first)?

[Muezzin]

It's okay, I'll just merge 'em.