The Free Iran rally feels like the safest place to be publicly Jewish

It hasn’t felt comfortable to be publicly Jewish in Australia since October 7. 

Weekly anti-Israel rallies have taken over our cities, with chants of “globalise the intifada” and Hamas and Hezbollah flags. For many Jews, Melbourne’s CBD has felt like a no-go zone most Sundays.

But recently, a very different type of protest has been happening at the steps of Melbourne’s Parliament House. For several weeks, in cities across the world, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have been rallying for their country’s freedom, as the Islamic Republic has massacred anti-regime protestors inside Iran. 

There is a strong Jewish presence at some of these rallies, with attendees waving Israeli flags – just as there were Iranians, with their pre-Islamic Republic flags, who joined Jews at Israel solidarity rallies after October 7. 

While the anti-Israel crowd is often bemused – and infuriated – by this, anyone familiar with the history of Iranians and Jews knows that we have a long history of friendship. Our bond dates back over 2500 years, when Cyrus the Great freed the Jews from Babylonian captivity and allowed their return to Jerusalem. 

Prior to the Islamic Republic’s takeover in 1979, there were also close to 100,000 Jews living in Iran. During this period, Iranian Jews enjoyed religious freedom under Mohammad Reza Shah, who maintained ties with the United States and Israel. 

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, over 90% of Iran’s Jews fled the country, with the majority moving to the United States or Israel. Approximately 9,000 to 10,000 Jews remain in Iran, where they face significant discrimination.