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Exodus of Iran's Jews refers to the emigration of Persian Jews from Iran in 20th century. The migration of Persian Jews after Iranian Revolution is mostly attributed to economic hardships and insecurity after deposition of the Shah regime and consequent violence. Despite high cash offers for emigrating provided by Israel, there are still around 9,000 Jews remaining in Iran.

History

The tensions between the loyalists of the Shah and Islamists through the 1970s have initiated the mass-migration. Instability caused thousands of Persian Jews to leave Iran prior to revolution - some seeking better economic opportunities or stability, while others afraid of the potential Islamic takeover. In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini met with the Jewish community upon his return from exile in Paris and issued a fatwa decreeing that the Jews were to be protected. Nevertheless, half of the community chose to emigrate.

At the time of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, 60,000 Jews were living in Iran. From then on, Jewish emigration from Iran dramatically increased, as about 30,000 Jews left within several months of the revolution alone. Since the Revolution, Iran's Jewish population, some 30,000 Jews, have emigrated to the United States, Israel, and Europe (mainly to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland).

Some sources put the Iranian Jewish population in the mid and late 1980s as between 50,000–60,000. An estimate based on the 1986 census put the figure considerably higher for the same time, around 55,000. In the 1990s there has been more uniformity in the figures, with most sources since then estimating roughly 25,000 Jews remaining in Iran.

The United States State Department estimated the number of Jews in Iran at 20,000–25,000 as of 2009. The 2012 census did put the figure of remaining Jewish community in Iran at about 9,000.

See also

• Iran-Iraq War

References

1. Feher, S. From the rivers of Babylon to the Valleys of Los Angeles: The Exodus and Adaptation of Iran`s Jews. Gatherings and Diaspora: Religious communities and the New Immigration. Editors: Warner, R.S. and Wittner, G.J. Temple University Press (Philadelphia) 1998. Pp.412-35.
2. Robert Tait: Iran's Jews reject cash offer to move to Israel, The Guardian, 12 July 2007
3. SCI (1986). "6. Followers of Selected Religions in the 1976 & 1986 Censuses". Tehran: Statistical Centre of Iran.
4. Littman (1979), p. 5.
5. Iran Virtual Jewish Tour
6. Sanasarian (2000), p. 48
7. Iran – Geography. Mongabay.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-09.
8. Harrison, Frances (September 22, 2006). "Iran's proud but discreet Jews". BBC News. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
9. "Iran Jewish leader calls recent mass aliyah 'misinformation' bid".
10. "Iran Jewish MP criticizes 'anti-human' Israel acts". Ynet. 5.7.2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
11. Harrison, Frances (2006-09-22). "Iran's proud but discreet Jews". BBC.
12. Jews in Iran Describe a Life of Freedom Despite Anti-Israel Actions by Tehran|csmonitor.com Archived 2005-08-30 at the Wayback Machine
13. Iran. State.gov. Retrieved on 2011-05-09.
14. "AFP: Iran young, urbanised and educated: census". Google.com. 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2013-03-09.

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