JPOST
Fifty years of Islamic rule can’t erase 2,600 years of Jewish-Iranian friendship
Alex Winston
December 18, 2025

…It is essential to distinguish between Iran and the regime that has ruled it since 1979. The Islamic Republic is not the inheritor of Persian civilization; it is merely a brief interruption in a long chain of comradeship. Its hostility toward Jews and toward Israel is not rooted in Iran’s ancient history, culture, or collective memory. Rather, it stems from an Islamist extremist ideology enforced on the people. Today, in 2025, the friendship between Jews and ordinary Iranians is alive and well. It was telling that at the Bondi Beach vigil and hanukkiah lighting in London, one of the most prominent flags seen in the crowd was the Lion and Sun flag, the symbol of imperial Iran. It is a flag that has appeared time and time again at marches or gatherings showing support for Israel or Jewish communities post-October 7. READ MORE