‘The bond between the Iranian people and Israel is stronger than ever’: diaspora communities in show of solidarity

More than 100 Iranians and Israelis came together on Sunday afternoon outside the Iranian embassy in a show of solidarity against the country’s Islamic regime.

They gathered in front of the Knightsbridge building as Iran launched more than 350 missiles and drones at Israel overnight Saturday, marking the first time Tehran has directly attacked the world’s only Jewish state.

With the flags of both countries waving side by side, protestors held placards, images of exiled Iranian crown prince in waiting Reza Pahlavi, posters denouncing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and wore teeshirts from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum as well as ‘Bring Them Home’ dog-tags.

Jewish Iranian activist Niaz Malekniatold Jewish News: “We the Iranian community have been demonstrating in London since Mahsa Amani was killed two years ago in Iran for not wearing the right hijab. This is not a war of the people of Iran, this is a war of the Islamic Republic. The people of Iran stand with Israel”.

She added: “I am from Iran and left at the time of the Revolution. I was ten years old. My mother was Jewish and my father was Muslim. I saw the Revolution. I can see both ends. It wasn’t the majority who brought the Ayatollah into power. Iran is not even historically an Islamic country”.

Emphasising the “many, many similarities” between Israelis and Iranians, she stressed how important it was that whilst the protest “wasn’t as big as it could have been”, the important fact was that “people were there”.

Organiser Yochy Davis told Jewish News: “The bond between the Iranian people and Israel is stronger than ever. This war is not their war. We thank the Iranians for a very emotional solidarity event”.

Itai Galmudy, organiser of Enough is Enough, which runs regular pro-Israel counter-protests in London in opposition to the pro-Palestinian marches, told Jewish News: “I think what we have with our Iranian freedom fighters brothers is unbelievable. It is so comforting, as an Israeli, to see these people willing to risk everything in order to defy their evil regime of terror and stand shoulder to shoulder with us. It’s not only brave but also very reassuring to see that the real people of Iran are just like us. They want peace”.

Following the missile and drone attacks, 99% of which were successfully intercepted and downed, UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has since urged Israel not to ‘escalate’ conflict with Iran.

As reported by Jewish News, he said the Iranian attack was “very significant” but a “total failure”, adding that “they’ve revealed to the world they are the malign influence in the region prepared to do this”.

The UK is being urged to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist group.