Many Jewish American organizations are expressing gratitude to President Donald Trump after a joint U.S.-Israeli strike killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28, ending his almost 37-year rule.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“For more than 40 years, as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, Iran has undermined the strategic interests of America and its allies in the Middle East and around the world,” Ron Halber, the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, wrote in a statement.
He spoke to the decades of attacks by Iran that have killed thousands of American and Israeli servicemembers and civilians.
“At the same time, Iran’s authoritarian and fanatic leaders have ruled their nation with an iron fist, repressing their own citizens for generations,” Halber added. “They routinely massacre their own people at every turn simply for bravely seeking freedom, civil rights, and economic opportunity.”
Senior officials claim that more than 30,000 people were killed on the streets of Iran in early January for protesting the Islamic Republic, according to Time magazine.
“The Iranian regime has, for decades, pursued policies that threaten U.S. interests, endanger Israel and our Arab partners, destabilize the broader Middle East, and undermine global security,” a Feb. 28 statement by the American Jewish Committee read. “Its relentless advancement of a nuclear program in defiance of international obligations, combined with its ballistic missile proliferation, sponsorship of terrorist proxies, and violent repression at home, has brought the region to this perilous moment.”
The AJC statement added that the regime has also stockpiled a “ballistic missile arsenal” that it has “repeatedly deployed,” including on Feb. 28, against Israel and its partners in the Gulf.
“Tehran has for decades been unwilling to curb its missile activity or seriously address this issue in previous negotiations,” the statement read.
A United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, was unable to verify whether Iran had suspended all uranium enrichment-related activities or the size of Iran’s uranium stockpile at the affected nuclear facilities, according to PBS.
“We appreciate the Trump Administration’s diligence in pursuing a diplomatic solution to the Iranian threat over the past several weeks, and we continue to hold out hope that a peace agreement can ultimately be negotiated and secured that removes the need for military engagement,” Halber wrote.
“As tensions escalate following U.S. and Israeli strikes involving Iran, we stand firmly with the people of Israel and remain focused on the safety and security of our community,” a statement by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington read.
Some Jewish organizations drew parallels to the Purim story.
“… [I]n coordination with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the IDF, President Donald Trump and the U.S. Armed Forces took decisive action to silence a modern threat from the same ancestral land of Haman,” read a statement by the Orthodox Union, referring to the evil king who devised a genocidal plan for the Jewish people in the Book of Esther. “God bless President Trump. God bless the United States of America and its courageous military servicemen and women conducting this noble mission, may you all return home in peace.”
“As we reflect on the story of Purim, we are reminded of our people’s resilience in the face of those who sought to destroy us — and that our greatest strength has always been found in our unity,” Washington Hebrew Congregation posted to Facebook on March 1.
“In every generation there are those who rise with the intent to destroy us,” Stephen M. Flatow, the president of Religious Zionists of America-Mizrachi, said in a statement. “The names change. The ideology does not. Our tradition is not merely about remembering the past. It is about recognizing present danger.”
Others expressed concern about the future of the Middle East as a result of the strike on Iran. On March 2, Trump warned Iran about upcoming larger strikes and estimated that while the military operation is projected to last four to five weeks, it could drag on longer, according to CNN.
“I can oppose the fascist regime of Iran and still feel deep fear about where this war may lead,” a Facebook post by Congregation Or Chadash read. “I can care about the citizens of Iran and also care about the citizens of the countries being targeted across the Middle East, including Israel.”
“We urge U.S. leaders, including President Trump and Pentagon officials, to act with the utmost care in ensuring that this military operation is undertaken with minimal harm to innocent Iranian civilians, and call on the President to maintain clarity on the goals of this war and what achievements will mark its end,” a joint statement by the Reform movement read.
“As we approach Purim, we remember that Jewish history turns not on despair but on courage,” said Flatow. “Strength, unity and faith have always defined our survival. They will define it now.”
