Israeli rabbi tours Iran, documents visit

Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Jacob Yisrael Herzog has travelled to Iran and toured its Jewish sites, Israeli daily Times of Israel reported.

Herzog, a dual US and Israeli national who lives in Jerusalem, entered Iran using his US passport, according to the Israeli daily.

The rabbi, who previously made headlines for trying to form a Jewish community in Saudi Arabia, documented his trip with pictures he shared on Twitter, which showed him dressed in Jewish religious clothing while out in public.

He met with the Jewish community in Tehran and other religious leaders, according to images he posted on Twitter.

Herzog's trip included visits to Tehran's Grand Bazaar and a site believed to be the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai, located in Hamadan in northern Iran, according to a report by Israeli broadcaster Kan.

אצל מרדכי ואסתר , זכות גדולה .
Tomb of Mordechai and Esther - Hamadan pic.twitter.com/NjLSNRUTo5

— Rabbi Jacob Herzog الحاخام يعقوب يسرائيل هرتسوغ (@RabbiHerzog) February 16, 2022

It appeared that Tehran's Jewish community and Herzog were at odds over the purpose of his visit, Kan reported, citing an unnamed source that said the rabbi's visit did not have a specific objective.

Herzog himself has not spoken out about the trip.

In 1948, during the creation of Israel, Iran's Jewish community was reduced from over 100,000 to about 80,000, mostly due to migration to the newly formed state.

The number further significantly reduced after the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

Currently, the Jewish community in Iran numbers roughly 9,000 people, according to a US State Department report published last May.