By Stan Goodenough
Dec 26, 2007
Jewish community leaders in the Islamic Republic of Iran expressed outrage Wednesday at the "lying" report that tens of Iranian Jews had secretly made aliyah (immigrated) to Israel.
The vehement denials came after Israeli media earlier in the day trumpeted the news that 40 Jews had secretly made their way from Iran to the Jewish state, probably via a third, anonymous country.
Iran's leaders have repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel while working feverishly to develop the nuclear weapons with which to accomplish their goal.
Nevertheless, the Jewish leaders that responded so strongly to Wednesday's aliyah news were adamant that the country's 25,000-strong Jewish community lives free of fear and experiences little if any antisemitism.
Analysts suggested the leaders' reaction was motivated out of fear of reprisals from the Iranian authorities.
By loudly declaring their love for, and loyalty to Iran, they apparently hoped to prevent or ameliorate any backlash that could result from the immigration.