Yosef, an Iranian Jew who studied history at university, is talking to Middle East Eye about the distinction between Judaism and Zionism.
Part of a small community that now numbers less than 10,000 in a country of 90 million, Yosef – like other Iranian Jews – is trying to stay safe from air and missile strikes that often originate in Israel, a country he is supposed to feel some affinity with.
“It is Zionism that has damaged Israel’s reputation around the world,” he says. “Today there is hardly any influential left-wing movement left in Israel. The competition is between hard-right politicians and even more radical ones.”
Yosef describes himself as a strong critic of Zionism, which he believes has played a major role in destabilising the entire Middle East.
“What happened in Gaza will remain in history,” he says, referring to Israel’s genocide. “The shame of it will stay with Zionism and those who supported it.”
With Israeli strikes on oil sites now turning the skies above Tehran black, Yosef is frustrated with Iranians who support Israel’s actions.
“When I see some of my fellow Iranians believing Netanyahu’s speeches, it makes me very sad,” he says. “They should listen carefully to his messages to the people of Syria, Lebanon and Palestine to understand who they are dealing with.”
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