Mush'ab Muqoddas, Lc
Alumni of History Department Al-Azhar University Cairo Egypt
Observer of Terrorism in the Middle East
Some time ago, amidst the conflict between Iran and Israel, we were shocked by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) attack on several vital facilities in Damascus, the Syrian capital. The attack was said to be a response to unrest that nearly escalated into sectarian conflict between Sunni Bedouin Arabs and the Druze community, which Israel claims is under Israeli protection.
What are the Druze? Ibn Taymiyyah explained that the Druze are a branch of the Isamilid Shia sect, followers of Hashatkin al-Darazi, who were allies of the Fatimid Shia ruler Al Hakim Biamrillah, who was considered a god, and claimed that Muhammad ibn Ishmael abolished Islamic law as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
In modern history, the Druze have been an ally of Israel. The number of Druze voters in the last Israeli election in 2022 was estimated at around 200,000. They channel their votes to the Likud Party, the ruling liberal-capitalist party, often referred to in political dictionaries as right-wing. It is currently allied with extremist and racist Zionist elements to cover up Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption allegations, including the war against Iran, the genocide of Gaza, and the evictions of Palestinians in the West Bank.
History also records that in the Arab-Israeli wars, the Druze sided with Israel, including the 1967 War, the 1973 War, and the 1982 Israel-Lebanon War. Several Druze figures have held important political positions, including former ministers and members of the Knesset and the Israeli Parliament, including Ayoub Kara, Saleh Tarif, Majli Wehbe, and Shakib Shanan. The military conscription rate among Druze youth is around 80%, and many serve in combat and intelligence units, including the IDF Air Force.
The above is a review of Shia in Israel. So what about Jews in Iran?
After Ayatollah Khomeini successfully overthrew the Shiite Pahlavi regime, Habib Elghanian, a prominent Iranian Jew, was executed, marking a turning point in the history of modern Jewish existence in Iran. Habib Elghanian was a leader of the Jewish minority and one of the largest Jewish merchants who contributed to building the Iranian economy during the Shah's reign. He was the first to introduce the plastics industry to Iran and had major projects between Iran and Israel. Habib Elghanian was executed for working for Israel and Zionist organizations. This event shocked the Iranian people in general, and Jews in particular, and raised considerable concern among Iranian Jews.
Amidst growing fears following the Islamic Revolution, Iranian Jews decided they needed to meet with Ayatollah Khomeini to determine their future under the Islamic Republic of Iran's concept of Wilayatul Faqih. Jewish minority leaders met with Ayatollah Khomeini in Qom. This meeting prompted Ayatollah Khomeini to issue a famous fatwa (religious decree) urging the protection of Jews in Iran and the prevention of attacks against them. Ayatollah Khomeini declared that Iranian Jews were descendants of the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and had no ties to Zionist Israel.
In return, Israel sought to attract Iranian Jews by offering substantial financial rewards of up to $10,000 per individual and $61,000 per family to encourage them to immigrate to Tel Aviv. Currently, the number of Iranian Jews in Israel is estimated at over 200,000, most prominent among them being former Israeli President Moshe Katsav and former Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz.
Under the Shah, Iran's Jewish population numbered around 100,000 until the early 1980s, spread across Shiraz, Yazd, Kerman, Isfahan, and Rafsanjan, but concentrated in the capital, Tehran. However, the majority have emigrated since the overthrow of the Shah's regime in 1979, leaving only a few thousand.
