In December 2022, the Israeli Embassy in Berlin, in conjunction with the World Jewish Congress, held an event commemorating the expulsion of Jews from Arab countries and Iran. Israeli-Iranian singer Liraz Charhi, who stars in the Apple TV series “Tehran,” participated in the event, which was also held to express support for Iranians, especially women, who have been oppressed by the regime.
As part of the event, former KAN news correspondent and current Bild TV reporter Antonia Yamin interviewed Charhi about her family’s departure from Iran and discussed the protests occurring in the streets of Tehran. Charhi performed a selection of her songs at the event, including “Zan Bezan” (Women, Sing), a song inspired by earlier protests in Iran. Although women’s vocal performances have been restricted in Iran since the Iranian Revolution, Liraz has worked with women based in Tehran and beyond through clandestine collaborations to create “private revolutions.” Charhi, who was born in Ramla, Israel to an Iranian Jewish family, is committed to supporting the protest movement in Iran. Her most recent album, “Roya,” was released in October.
Several senior officials participated in the event, including German politician Petra Pau, one of the Vice Presidents of the Bundestag, and Green Party Bundestag members Marlene Schoenberger and Lamya Kaddor. Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prossor, Dr. Gideon Joffe, Chairman of the Board of the Jewish Community of Berlin, and Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, addressed the gathering.
In his remarks, the Ambassador stated that the expulsion of the Jews from Arab countries is a subject that the world has chosen to ignore, while it has sided with the Palestinian narrative for generations, adding that the issue should be on the agenda when discussing the Israeli-Arab dispute. Regarding the current struggle of the women in Iran against oppression, he said, “Liraz speaks on behalf of the entire Israeli people who sympathize with the struggle of the women of Iran for human rights. I hope that the message we are singing today in Berlin will also be heard in the streets of Tehran and Isfahan.”