Israelis in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv show support for Iranian anti-regime protesters
‘Women, Life, Freedom’ reads the Tel Aviv municipality building; female protesters in Jerusalem cut their hair in solidarity
As protests in Iran entered their fourth week, Israelis in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv issued a message of support for Iranian activists who have raised their voices against the ruling Islamic regime of Iran.
Some 100 Israelis gathered in Jerusalem’s Independence Park for an afternoon rally, where they waved Iranian and Israeli flags, played Persian music, and chanted the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom.”
The official Twitter account of Israel’s Foreign Ministry shared a video from the event, adding: “Today Israelis gathered in Jerusalem [and] showed their support for the brave Iranians fighting for their basic human rights.”
Tel Aviv tonight: Women, Life, Freedom.
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) October 6, 2022
The people of Israel stand with the brave Iranians fighting for freedom.
📸 @MayorOfTelAviv, @TelAviv#Mahsa_Amini #IranProtestspic.twitter.com/MztkdSbvMR
One Israeli woman, seen quite shaken in the footage, cut her hair, like many of the female demonstrators in Iran have done in recent weeks. According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, she is of Iranian descent.
Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum was among the organizers of the rally. She told Israel’s Channel 14 News that many women from Iran have reached out to her on social media to thank the Israeli women for supporting their cause remotely.
“We have no problem with the Iranian people. We certainly have a problem with the Iranian regime,” said Hassan-Nahoum.
Other Israeli women in the demonstration danced with hijabs, or headscarves, in their hands and their hair flying freely. On the ground, dozens of roses lay next to pictures of Iranian victims who have lost their lives at the hands of the regime, among them 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who Islamic morality police killed on Sept. 16, and 16-year-old Nika Shahkarami, who Iranian security forces killed on Sept. 20.
Amini died in “morality police” custody, from head trauma, an incident that ignited the current uprising. Shahkarami’s body was found in Tehran 10 days after she had joined an anti-hijab protest and went missing. Shahkarami’s friends and family said she posted a video of herself burning a headscarf on social media and then was chased down by security agents.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan posted Shahkarami’s picture on social media, writing: “The brave women who lost their lives fighting for their basic rights in Iran are too long to list; 16-year-old Nika Shahkarami is the latest example. She disappeared for 10 days before being returned to her family, dead with a broken skull. May her memory be a blessing.”
After Shahkarami’s body was returned to her family, security officials reportedly stole her body and buried it some kilometers away, in another village.
Meanwhile, Tel Aviv’s municipality building was lit up in the white and red colors of the Iranian flag, displaying the words: Women, Life, Freedom.
“The people of Israel stand with the brave Iranians fighting for freedom,” said Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
Tal Heinrich is a senior correspondent for both ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS. She is currently based in New York City. Tal also provides reports and analysis for Israeli Hebrew media Channel 14 News.
