Iranian Israelis stage solidarity protest in Jerusalem
Iranian immigrants wave Iranian flags and Israeli flags in display of solidarity with protesters in Iran; 'You cannot take Iran out of our hearts. Whatever we see in the media is only the regime.'
Protesters were undeterred by the rain that drizzled on the Old City as they held signs saying "Help Iran" and "Free Iran" while waving both countries' flags.
Rani Amrani, 35, who emigrated from Iran at the age of 16 and now lives in Jerusalem, is one of the organizers. "We are calling on Iranian Israelis as well as all Israelis to support the (will to) freedom of the Iranian people. They say that you can leave Iran, but you cannot take Iran out of our hearts. One who lives in Iran will always feel a connection," said Amrani.
He added that the beauty of Iran should not be overshadowed by the horrors of the regime in Tehran.
"(Iran) is a beautiful country with wonderful people, whatever we see in the media is only the regime. The Iranian people do not hate Israel," he said.
"The Persians always had good relations with the Jews throughout history. What we are seeing now is proof that the regime does not represent the people and that the Iranian people do not want the regime. Iran is a rich country and its wealth is being squandered on the regime and not on the people who are poor."
Amrani said that he still has relatives living in Iran. "They tell us about the mayhem and disorder, I am concerned for them so I told them not to go out on the streets."
Pinkas, another participant, added: "We want the leaders of the world, Trump and Netanyahu, to show support. This is the first step. It is important that Iranians should not fear and that they should receive support from the whole world and the revolution should succeed this time."
Iranian cities have seen six days of protests sparked by economic woes and government corruption. Some participants have been heard calling for the death of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and for the "dictator", Ayatollah Khameini. Twenty-one people have been killed so far and hundreds arrested.
The last major protests in Iran were in 2009 after a reformist candidate lost the election. Centerd in Theran, the capital, the protests mainly gathered attraction from the middle and upper classes. The latest wave of protests that began in Mashad, Iran's second largest city, spread to other regions and gathered a wider spectrum of disgruntled citizens.
There is neither a clear leadership nor a political platform leading the protests. Tehran has also seen some unrest, but the violence was mainly limited to other cities.
Jerusalem's deputy mayor Dov Kalmenovich expressed support for the local protest "Showing solidarity with the Iranian people in its struggle against an Islamist and terrorist regime… we wish for a day when we can renew relations between our two countries."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the anti-government protesters in Iranian on Monday, while denying as "laughable" Tehran’s apparent accusations that Israel was behind the demonstrations. He also criticized the relative silence out of Europe in light of the events.
"Brave Iranians are pouring into the streets. They seek freedom. They seek justice. They seek the basic liberties that have been denied them for decades. Iran’s cruel regime wastes tens of billions of dollars spreading hate," Netanyahu said in remarks that echoed similar praise from US President Donald Trump.
"Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama Administration. The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years. They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted; Time for change!’’ Trump tweeted.
