New York, NY,… Dianne Lob, Chair, William Daroff, CEO, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Vice Chair, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, issued the following statement:
“We commemorate this week the anniversary of the state-sponsored murder of Iranian Jewish leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Habib Elghanian, who was killed 43 years ago by the antisemitic, authoritarian Iranian regime during the first round of civilian executions in 1979.
“Elghanian was a modernizing force in Iran and President of the Tehran Jewish Society, which helped Iran’s Jewish community grow and thrive until his murder. He encouraged trade with the West and the development of new technologies to drastically improve the quality of life in Iran. The legacy of Elghanian’s generosity is also enshrined in Tehran’s Hosseinieh Ershad Mosque, constructed after Iranian Muslims asked for and received his crucial financial support. He was targeted like many others for being Jewish and bravely gave his life rather than abandon his family and community during the Iranian Revolution.
“The Iranian regime, along with its international terrorist proxies, have the innocent blood of countless civilians, Americans, Israelis, and many others on their hands. From torturing Iranian citizens who speak against the extremist regime, to targeting U.S. forces including a recent missile strike aimed at the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, Iraq, to being the mastermind of the 1994 bombing of the AMIA (Jewish Community Center) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, there is no doubt of Iran’s malevolent aspirations.
“May the memory of Habib Elghanian and the other innocents persecuted and murdered by Iran be for blessings. We pledge to uphold their legacy by fiercely opposing Iran’s violent, hegemonic, and nuclear ambitions, and to stay ever vigilant in the ongoing fight against antisemitism and extremism.”
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