FACT CHECK: Van Jones (CNN) claims that Iran says "death to all the Jews"

posted 346 days ago by AntonioOfVenice 346 days ago by AntonioOfVenice +16 / -0

According to Van Jones, an ignorant blowhard and ruling class ideologue on the fake news network CNN, Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, and the reason for that is that they say "death to all the Jews".

FACT CHECK: pants on fire.

REALITY: Iran has never said anything about "the Jews", let alone that they should all die. In fact, Iran has the largest Jewish minority in the Middle East after Israel, and it's not because the government has not been able to find them.

Iran makes a distinction between Judaism, which they regard as a religion, and Zionism, which they regard as a political ideology that they oppose. To quote Khamenei, the current Supreme Leader of Iran:

There are Jews living in various countries;in Iran Jews live respectably 'cuz its their own country but #Zionism is different from #Judaism. source

Quite a far cry from "death to all the Jews".

But I guess all's fair in manufacturing consent for senseless wars. And this guy is supposedly a "radical". And yet here he is lying for the war machine.

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– AntonioOfVenice [S] 5 points 346 days ago +5 / -0

I'll allow the first part could just be propaganda, but I thought they had said "death to the Jews."

I'm actually shocked that you would think such a thing. That's one thing I'm absolutely sure they never said. Of course, I can't prove the negative. Maybe you're thinking of the Iranian proxy houthi slogan "curse on the Jews".

As for the second part, it's hard to find exact breakdowns, and definitions can vary based on if you're talking ethnic or religious, but don't the official numbers put Iran at nearly 99% Muslim? Jews, officially, are less than one percent. As low as 0.01%.

There are about 10,000. For a Middle Eastern country, that is rather large - because they all drove their Jews out because of fighting with Israel. But the significance is that they're mostly left in peace (of course, everyone in Iran is oppressed to some extent, and Jews and Christians probably more than the majority).

“There are 30 active synagogues, Jewish schools, kosher butcheries and restaurants, and even a matzah factory. Jews don’t suffer from persecution or harm and are permitted to maintain their Jewish lifestyle without interference. Their rights as an official religious minority in Iran are protected by law and constitution, and they even have a representative in parliament,” [says David Nissan, an Iran expert and former Israeli intelligence officer who was born and raised in Tehran.] source

Clearly this isn't "kill the Jews".

"Those who want to leave Iran can, but despite past attempts to incentivize Jews to immigrate to Israel, few accepted the offer. Most Jews living in Iran don’t see Israel as a better alternative worth leaving everything behind for, mainly due to cultural and economic reasons, but also security concerns."

Security concerns. Do you think any normie would believe that Iran is safer than Israel for a Jew? Hell, I'm not sure I believe it, but it seems some Jews in Iran do.

Meanwhile, the self-described "most famous Iranian Jew" is a hardcore Zionist propagandist calling for the overthrow of Iran.

Lip filler girl? Many such cases.

I guess what I'm saying is, Khamenei is wrong about the Jews. /joke.

Damn, my poor boy can't catch a break... Zionists hate him because they think he wants to kill the Jews, and anti-Zionists hate him because he respects the Jews. /joke

Fun fact: Khamenei is older than the state of Israel.

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– Kienan 3 points 346 days ago +3 / -0

I'm actually shocked that you would think such a thing.

I mean, a lot of people in the region aren't fans of ze Jews. Because most of the Jews in the region are in Israel, as you say, and Israel keeps bombing and otherwise terroristing the crap out of them. As well as the usual religious squabbles on top of that.

Clearly this isn't "kill the Jews".

I mean, saying and doing are two different things. I wouldn't be shocked if they'd said "kill the Jews," but I agree they're clearly not putting that alleged belief into practice. Agreed completely there. If Iran wanted to kill all the Jews, you'd think they'd start with the ones in their own backyard. No argument.

Similar to how they chant "death to America" (which is clearly a warcrime, and casus belli!), but don't actually do a whole lot of America killing. Despite the propaganda.

Dude, it's heartbreaking. I'm no Iran fanboy, but just like I don't wish for death to either Ukrainians or Russians, I don't want Iranians hurt. And the actual people there, no matter how you feel about the government, are known as some of the absolute friendliest in the region.

As some of the citizens of Our Greatest Ally say Christians belong in Hell, should be spit on, and all that. Openly, in public, without shame.

Fun fact: Khamenei is older than the state of Israel.

No, no, no. Israel is like five bazillion years old, bigot.

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– AntonioOfVenice [S] 2 points 346 days ago +2 / -0

I mean, a lot of people in the region aren't fans of ze Jews. Because most of the Jews in the region are in Israel, as you say, and Israel keeps bombing and otherwise terroristing the crap out of them. As well as the usual religious squabbles on top of that.

Everyone in the world is familiar with Islamic attitudes. I more than most. Of course, they disliked the Jews before Israel, simply because they're not Muslims. But that's quite a different matter from saying "kill the Jews", which is beyond the pale by any Islamic standard.

Similar to how they chant "death to America" (which is clearly a warcrime, and casus belli!), but don't actually do a whole lot of America killing. Despite the propaganda.

They just love the "death to" chants. Or "down with" as you may translate it. Here's a secret: people in the region are a bit melodramatic, and Iranians probably take the crown on that.

just like I don't wish for death to either Ukrainians or Russians, I don't want Iranians hurt.

As usual, you're very wholesome.

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– Kienan 1 point 346 days ago +1 / -0

I'm actually shocked that you would think such a thing. That's one thing I'm absolutely sure they never said.

I was curious, and looked it up.

I know AI isn't reliable, but it is an interesting and easy yardstick. If there was easily accessible information, it would pull it up. It didn't. So I'm inclined to agree; media can't point to Iran saying "death to the Jews."

Brave results (condensed by me):

Iranian officials have used rhetoric that includes calls for the destruction of Israel, often employing terms like "death to Israel" during events such as Quds Day rallies.

However, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has stated that Iran does not have anything against Jews and that the call to "wipe Israel off the map" refers to the elimination of the "Zionist regime" rather than the Jewish people themselves.

Despite this distinction, Iranian state media and officials have consistently used pejorative terms to delegitimize Israel, referring to it as the "Zionist regime" and "Occupied Palestine," which implies that it is an oppressive regime rather than a legitimate sovereign state.

As the kids say: LOL, LMAO, EVEN.

They have nothing. Essentially: "They don't say death to the Jews, but they don't like Israel, and that's totally the same thing."

Some Iranian officials have gone further, using dehumanizing language that characterizes Jews in derogatory terms, such as "filthy bacteria" and "wild beasts". This rhetoric has been criticized as incitement to genocide, with calls for the international community to take action against such speech.

Considering the other bullshit this pulled up, I'd need to see specific examples of the "dehumanizing language," and who it was really directed toward.

Result 1: Brave says no, Iran doesn't say death to the Jews.

Google (again condensed by me):

While some sources indicate that the Iranian government and some of its leaders have made statements and slogans that are widely considered to be anti-Semitic and hostile toward Israel, including calling for Israel's destruction and questioning or denying the Holocaust, it's important to understand the context and different interpretations of this rhetoric.

I fucking hate AI-speak. What does that initial paragraph even me? Nothing, basically. It's just wishy-washy nonsense.

Specifically regarding the phrase "Death to the Jews":
"Death to Israel" or "Down with Israel" is a slogan commonly used in Iran...Iranian leaders have stated that "Death to Israel" is not directed at the Jewish people or Judaism, but rather at the Israeli government and its policies.

However, critics argue that...

Stopping you right there, Google. Moving on.

In summary:

While the Iranian government and its leadership primarily use the slogan "Death to Israel," which they claim is directed at the government and not the Jewish people, the close connection between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in their rhetoric and propaganda raises concerns about the broader implications of their statements.

So, no. No, Iran does not say "Death to the Jews."

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– AntonioOfVenice [S] 1 point 346 days ago +1 / -0

They have nothing. Essentially: "They don't say death to the Jews, but they don't like Israel, and that's totally the same thing."

I mean, didn't the House pass a law defining saying that Christ was killed by Jews as anti-Semitism? Such conflation are commonplace nowadays, and perhaps always have been (I'm rereading Mearsheimer's Israel Lobby).

However, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has stated that Iran does not have anything against Jews and that the call to "wipe Israel off the map" refers to the elimination of the "Zionist regime" rather than the Jewish people themselves.

Regime change, if you will. Good when the deep state does it, bad when others call for it.

Considering the other bullshit this pulled up, I'd need to see specific examples of the "dehumanizing language," and who it was really directed toward.

There may well be some nutjobs who attack Jews. But I don't think that marginal people qualifies as "Iran" saying that, no more than you can say that the Israeli state approves of the actions of Dr. Baruch Goldstein because the Minister of the Interior Ben Ghvir does/did. It would have to be someone or an institution able to speak for the state.

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