Israeli chief rabbi calls for help for Jews to leave
Iran
JERUSALEM, June 9 (AFP) - One of Israel's two chief rabbis appealed
Wednesday for Iranian Jews to be given help to emigrate after the reported
arrest of 13 Jews in the Islamic republic.
"Everything must be done to enable the 25,000 or so Iranian Jews
to leave the country. Their lives are in danger because they could be used
as scapegoats," said Eliahou Bakshi-Doron, the chief rabbi of the
Sephardi -- or oriental -- Jews.
"The Iranian government is apparently trying to get rid of the
Jewish community, contrary to the policy that has been followed over the
past several years," he told Israel public radio.
He added that several rabbis were among the group of Jews arrested two
months ago, and said that the number detained was "certainly more
than the 13 announced by the Iranian authorities."
The Israeli government "at first opted to use secret diplomatic
channels (to secure their release), thinking this tactic would be more
effective than a public campaign," Tourism Minister Moshe Katzav,
himself of Iranian origin, told the radio.
"But Monday's announcement by the Iranian authorities that these
Jews were going to be taken to court forced us to change our approach."
Katzav said Israel had asked the US, French, German and British governments
to intervene, as well as Jewish communities throughout the world "in
order to persuade the Iranian authorities to change their position."
He said any charge of espionage against the arrested Jews was groundless.
An Iranian state radio official denied Wednesday that his station had
announced the arrest of 13 Jews.
He told AFP in Tehran the radio had simply quoted a claim by Israel
radio.
Links
