An Israeli airstrike that destroyed a synagogue in central Tehran on Tuesday has left many of Iran's religious minorities in shock, not only because of the damage itself, but because it laid bare Israel's apparent disdain for Jewish communities that oppose Zionism.
For years, Israel and its supporters have portrayed Iran as a country where religious minorities lack freedom and live under constant pressure. But for some members of Iran’s Jewish community, the attack on a synagogue in the capital told a very different story.
"It was always said that Iran was an ideological state, that there was no freedom of religion here," said Sameh, a member of Tehran's J ewish community , estimated to be around 9,000 . "But what the world saw yesterday was something else. When a synagogue in Tehran was targeted, it was Israel that showed hostility toward any worldview that opposes Zionism."
Iran's constitution officially recognises Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, considering them protected minority religions, though rights groups say they're subject to discrimination in areas like employment and education.
Sameh said the attack has forced many to confront a distinction often blurred in international discourse: the difference between Judaism as a faith and Zionism as a political ideology.
"Global Zionism is hostile even to Jews who reject its racism," he said. "This ideology does not tolerate dissent even from within its own religion."
The Rafi-Nia Synagogue, a mid-20th-century landmark in central Tehran's Yusef Abad neighbourhood, has long served as one of the most important gathering places for Iran's Jewish community, particularly for Jews of Khorasani origin from north-eastern Iran.
Its sudden destruction drew heated reactions, even from Iranians outside the Jewish community. Residents around the synagogue expressed a mix of shock, grief, and unease.
Pouria, a long-time shopkeeper who has worked in the area for years and maintains close relationships with Jewish residents, stood near the damaged site, visibly shaken. His voice was calm but heavy with emotion as he spoke.
"This is a sacred place," he said. "Just as a mosque is sacred for Muslims, a synagogue is sacred for Jews. Seeing it like this is deeply upsetting."
He stressed that what had happened was not just physical damage, but something that had affected the emotional fabric of the neighbourhood, a place where different communities had lived side by side for years.
A short distance away, Homayoun, a resident of the same neighbourhood, stood looking at the destruction, reflecting on what he saw as a deeper misunderstanding.
"Many people think Judaism is the same as Zionism . It is not," he said. "Just like in Islam, Christianity, and every religion, there are extremist groups. That does not mean all believers support those actions."
"What has happened here is not just an attack on a building. It is an attack on something people hold sacred, regardless of their religion. This place was part of our lives," he added.
Residents in the area said the neighbourhood had long been an example of peaceful coexistence among different religious communities, and that the attack had shaken not only buildings but also a shared sense of security.
David, a Jewish shopkeeper who has worked for years near the synagogue, spoke with a mixture of anger and disbelief.
"I strongly condemn what happened," he said. "We are Iranians before anything else. We are worried about the war imposed on our country, and we do not see ourselves in what is being done in the name of Zionism ."
For him, the issue is not only political, but moral.
"The Torah teaches us to love others as ourselves," he said. "What we are seeing today has nothing to do with that."
He linked the attack on the synagogue to a broader pattern of US-Israeli violence.
"What happened in Minab, the destruction of infrastructure, the killing of civilians and now attacks on places of worship, whether synagogue, mosque, or church, all of this shows that the force we are dealing with has no respect not only for international law, but even for basic moral principles," David remarked. "We want Jewish communities around the world to speak out. This is not only about Iran. This is about conscience," he added.
The Israeli military offered a different account, claiming that the Rafi-Nia Synagogue was not the intended target of the strike. According to Israel, the operation was aimed at a nearby military facility used by Iranian forces, and any damage to the synagogue was unintended collateral damage resulting from the proximity of the two sites.
It did not provide evidence for this claim. Because of ongoing security concerns amid the bombardments, some interviewees requested to be identified by their first names only. Yet their willingness to speak challenges the common international portrayal of Iran's Jews as a silenced or oppressed minority waiting to be "rescued."
Built with a blend of modernist architecture and traditional Persian tilework, the synagogue features blue-and-white mosaics and grand chandeliers. It has stood for decades as a living symbol of the community's deep historical roots in the country.
For those now clearing rubble from its floors, the strike is not viewed as 'collateral damage'. It was a direct attack on Iranian society itself, and further evidence that their loyalty lies firmly with their country, not with the ideology that targeted it. This story was published in collaboration with Egab .