Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported over the weekend that the Jewish community of Isfahan has assembled food and supply packages for residents of the Gaza Strip. According to the report, the aid — consisting of non-perishable food and other essentials — was prepared under the direction of Zion Mahgerefteh, head of the Isfahan Jewish Association. Mahgerefteh said the effort was meant to demonstrate “solidarity with the people of Gaza” and noted that community members gathered earlier in the week at the city’s David Synagogue to show public support. “The spiritual side of this action matters more to us than its material value, as it symbolizes the solidarity of Iran’s Jewish community, and Jews worldwide, with the oppressed people of Palestine,” Mahgerefteh was quoted as saying. In remarks eerily similar official Iranian talking points, Mahgerefteh also criticized Israel, saying that “Jews worldwide oppose Zionist agendas and view Zionists as separate from the Jewish faith,” and accused such groups of “violence and oppression, which no divine religion can justify.” The Isfahan Jewish Association issued its own statement condemning what it described as Israel’s “inhumane crimes” in Gaza, saying the community viewed events there “with heavy hearts and concerned eyes” and asserting that “no honorable person can tolerate” the situation. The statement expressed hope that, under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s government and Jewish citizens could contribute to aiding Gaza, calling the food package a “modest effort” toward that goal. While the association acknowledged logistical challenges in delivering supplies due to the war and distance, it maintained that non-perishable items were the most practical form of assistance at present. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)  | Read More The Yeshiva World