Yes as you know :
Jewish tradition teaches that peace (Hebrew: shalom) is an ultimate goal.
Peace is so central that many prayers conclude with petitions for peace.
Even war, when considered, is treated as a last resort and something to minimize :
“The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” (Isaiah 32:17)
Jewish ethical teachings include guidance on how to regard those seen as enemies, emphasizing compassion over vengeance:
Rejoice not when your enemy falls…” (Proverbs)
“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” (Proverbs)
Jewish law underscores the sanctity of human life. Even in war, unnecessary death is profoundly discouraged, and all human life is treated as precious.
Jews have lived in the land of what is now Iran for over 2,700 years, from the first exile after Assyria’s conquest of Israel to the present
One of the most celebrated figures in Jewish historical memory, Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire, is praised in the Bible for allowing Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.
Biblical books such as Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel describe Persian kings permitting Jews to practice their religion and govern community affairs.
(Modern time is considered, that Biblical stories such as Esther and Haman are symbolic narratives from the 5th century BCE, not direct evidence of an ongoing ancient Iranian plot against Jews.)
This shows ancient Persia/Iran was not uniformly hostile toward Jews; at times it supported and protected them.
The relationship between Iran and Israel as states is entirely modern, mostly shaped after the 20th century. Under the last Shah (pre‑1979), Iran and Israel had diplomatic and strategic ties; tensions intensified only after the Islamic Revolution
Jewish communities in Iran thrived at different times under different regimes, including the Pahlavi modernization period (1925–1979).
There were episodes of persecution — for example under certain Safavid or Qajar rulers and during some Islamic periods — but these were part of the general ebb and flow of power dynamics in the region, not a continual trajectory of genocide
The modern Iran–Israel conflict is not rooted in ancient Persian–Jewish relations; it emerged after 1948 with the rise of the Islamic Republic and Middle East political alignments
The ancient history of Jews in Persia shows periods of mutual respect, cultural integration, and even official protection — including orders from Persian kings to restore Jewish worship. The contemporary political conflict between the modern Iranian state and Israel is unrelated to this ancient legacy. It is instead a product of 20th–21st century geopolitical and ideological developments, not an age‑old ethnic or religious feud rooted in ancient Persia.
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