Israelis from Iran reported in recent days that their relatives in Iran have cut off contact with them, Ynet reported.

According to a report by Iran International, Iranian Jews were ordered to cut ties with their relatives in Israel and block them on social media networks.

Some Jews blocked their relatives’ phone numbers and others left family WhatsApp groups. “There’s never been such a disconnect,” Iranian-Israelis said. “They blocked brothers and other close relatives in all groups.”

An Israeli living in the central city of Holon whose mother lives in Tehran said that “social networks were our only way to be in touch with our relatives in Iran, and at least we knew how they were doing from a distance and we could sometimes see them on the screen. I haven’t had any direct contact with them for several days. I know they’re afraid of what’s happening in Gaza and fear that extremists will take revenge on them.”

Another Israeli woman said that she received the following message from her brother: “Because of the threats in Iran, I’m cutting off contact with you for the time being. I will ask about your well-being through friends from Europe.” Another Iranian Jew told his relative in Israel that he was blocking him and leaving the family WhatsApp group and that they would be in contact through a third party.

Despite reports about Jews in Iran enjoying religious freedom, the members of the community are under constant pressure from the authorities. In recent days it has been reported in Iran that the members of the Jewish communities in Tehran and Isfahan were apparently forced by the authorities to demonstrate against Israel.

One of the posters presented at the demonstration in Tehran stated: “We, the Jewish community of Iran, strongly condemn the crimes of the usurper Zionist regime against the oppressed and defenseless people of Palestine, and express our solidarity with them. We ask the international community to help them. Judaism has nothing to do with Zionism.”

The protest took place following reports that locals in the Hamadan province of Iran desecrated the kevarim of Mordechai HaTzaddik and Esther HaMalka and burned Israeli flags at the site to protest against the Israel-Hamas war.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)