The Journalist Who Found Refuge in Israel: "My Father Maintained His Jewish Connection Throughout His Life"

Neda Amin was born in Tehran to a Jewish father and a Muslim mother. "My parents weren't religious. My mom taught me about Islam and my dad about Judaism, but we didn't celebrate holidays or strictly follow Jewish or Muslim customs," she shared in an interview given to 'Yediot'.

Neda, a journalist at heart, wrote for foreign media under a pseudonym and rebelled against the regime's injustices. Her actions angered the Iranian government, which declared her wanted. With the help of the Israeli government, Amin arrived in the country and courageously shared her life story in an interview.

"From childhood, I knew Israeli songs. At home in Tehran, my mother listened to Iranian music and my father to Western music. He was connected to Hebrew songs. As a child, I sat with him and listened, which created a special bond between us," she said. "My father knew Hebrew and translated the words for me into Persian. My grandmother, my dad's mother, was Jewish, and his father was Muslim, and since in Iran, religion is determined by the father, he grew up as a Muslim. My mother is Muslim and I am registered as Muslim, but my father maintained his connection to Judaism throughout the years. From him, I heard about Jerusalem, the Western Wall, Mount Zion, and King David. My father had a small book of the Torah and told me about the prophets and read me Psalms."

Neda notes that's why, when she arrived in Israel, the place didn't feel foreign to her. "This place had been in my consciousness for many years, and when they took me to the Western Wall last Shabbat, I trembled with excitement both for myself and my father. He quietly told me about Judaism; we didn't discuss it much outside since everyone around us was Muslim."

When she was 16, Neda began to be independent in her actions and opinions, publishing three books that managed to anger the Iranian censorship. Her first book, "Believe", was through which she chose to criticize the brainwashing that the Iranian government does to children from a young age. Her second book "Simple Crimes" dealt with types of crimes that occur in Iran and no one takes responsibility for them. The book angered the regime. Neda was summoned for interrogation and punished with a two-year suspended sentence and a fine of 17 million tomans, about 5,000 dollars. Her third book "Chains" she chose to print privately and illegally and distributed to friends and several libraries. Distributing the book without the regime's approval could have led her to actually serve her prison sentence and be put on the blacklist, of those who could never leave Iran.

"I came to the conclusion that I had no choice but to escape Iran. The only place I thought of was neighboring Turkey, because Iranians don't need a visa to enter. I thought I could write quietly there," she said.

"Three years ago, my cousin passed away. I was with my mother and sisters at the funeral, and during it, I whispered to my mom that I must escape from here. I ran home without saying goodbye to the family, knowing I could never return to Iran. I threw some clothes in a suitcase, a childhood album, a laptop, and the doll my dad bought me, packed my beloved guitar, and got on the train on my way to freedom. At least that's what I thought. I was on the road for three days until I reached the Turkish city of Eskisehir, where many refugees from Iran live."

In Turkey, she wrote for the Persian edition of the "Times of Israel". After several months of working, the Turks started watching me. They summoned me for interrogations about my work and my connection with Israel. I asked if, according to Turkish law, it was an offense to work with an Israeli media outlet, and the answer I received was that it was not an offense, but they don't like Israel, which kills Muslims. For a year and a half, I fought for my right to write and was constantly summoned for interrogations, at the end of which they threatened to deport me back to Iran."

"Without Israel's pressure, there's no doubt I wouldn't be alive right now"

The Turks gave Neda 30 days to leave Turkey, or she would be deported back to Iran. "I was very scared," she said. "After all, I had written very severe things against the regime under my full name. During the month the Turks gave me, I tried to seek asylum in the United States, Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Israel. I explained that my life would be in danger if they deported me to Iran. I pleaded for someone to save me. All the countries except Israel told me that for now, they couldn’t take in more refugees."

In Israel, they mobilized to assist the Iranian refugee. The Israeli branch of the human rights organization UN Watch organized a petition for Amin and collected signatures from about 8,000 people. David Horovitz, editor of the Times of Israel where Amin worked, approached the Foreign Ministry and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, who announced last week that he decided to grant her an entry visa on a humanitarian basis. The Jerusalem Journalists Association also assisted in bringing her to the country.

When she arrived at the airport with a ticket in hand, the Turkish police prevented her from reaching the boarding gate. "I didn't understand what was happening. I told them, 'You want to deport me, and here I have an exit ticket from your country, so what's the problem?' They had no answer and suggested I check with the Ankara police. I waited hours for my suitcase and went to Ankara, where they replied that they didn't know and that I should return in a few days. I think they wanted to string me along until the 30-day grace period they gave me expired, and then deport me to Iran," she recalls.

"I felt I was losing my mind. I was so close to my freedom—and they closed the door on me. I was terrified, but I decided that even though they were tormenting me, I had to save myself. At the Israeli consulate, they worked around the clock to help me, and after four days, I received a call from the police and they asked me to come to the station. I received permission to leave Turkey thanks to the pressure exerted by the Israeli government. Without it, there's no doubt I wouldn't be alive right now," says Amin, her eyes tearing up.

"I want to stay here, to live as a free person, and work as a journalist who reveals to the world what's happening in Iran and what a terrible regime runs the country," she continues. "I support sanctions on the regime there. It's clear to me that Iran must not have nuclear weapons because then it would be a huge threat to humanity. Already now, with the limited power this regime has, it's committing atrocities in Syria. Iran is participating in the destruction of the Syrian people, and it's one of its horrendous crimes outside its borders. Israel must be strong and stand against these capabilities of Iran," Amin concludes her words.