Mahmoud Ahmadinejadstein?

ahmadinejewWilliam Levin’s video was meant as a joke of course, but its depiction of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad applying to join a Taglit Birthright Israel trip turned out to be rather uhm… prescient with news today that he was born Jewish. The Telegraph reports that Iran’s President was named Sabourjian – a Jewish name meaning cloth weaver – the Persian equivalent of “Goldberg” I guess. The family converted to Islam when little Mahmoud was 4-years old for “a mixture of religious reasons and economic pressures.” Consequently, Ahmadinejad qualifies for the law of return and can become an Israeli citizen tomorrow. He can even qualify for a Birthright Israel trip, if he was a little younger.

The Telegraph speculates that the over the top bombastic nature of his anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric might just be a sign of his overcompensating for his Jewish origins – something we’ve seen often in the past. Of course this news ought have no effect on Ahmadinejad’s political career. As we all know, Iran has always treated its Jews well and I am sure Mahmoud has nothing to fear. Nothing at all. I look forward to having him over for a Shabbat meal whenever he has the chance.

OK. I’m trying to be clever and funny but this news is so many different levels of fucked uppedness that really? I’m kind of stunned.

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ck

Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

26 Comments

  • My hunch has been Hugo Chavez may have Sephardic roots, as well.

    Halloween Minyan wish-lists: Haven’t seen any in the blogosphere. Who would you include, Jewlicious?

  • Meir Javedanfar says it’s crap. I don’t know what to believe.

  • I know what to say.

    I give three days tops until Alex chimes in and compares Ahmedinejad to any other “self-hating” (i.e. “liberal”) Jew.

    Ahmedinejad will be depicted as Iran’s version of the “typical”, rich, liberal Hollywood Jew.

    But here’s what I would choose to say:

    We have met the enemy and he is us.

    It’s more consistent with perspectives I’ve been willing to consider in the past and a profound thought from Walt Kelly is probably the only meaningful response. It’s also more cogent than the narrative the far-right had built up by this time, which can now only culminate in apoplexy.

    It must be a heck of a thing when you spend years writing a script only to learn that the ending is so ill-fitting that now the cat’s got the playwright’s tongue.

    Oh well. That’s as profound as anything I can offer on something coming from “so many different levels of fucked upedness”.

  • The self-congratulatory liberal summary is that neoconservative Manicheanism was never destined to be a good fit for Judaism.

  • Ahemdinejad’s news is stunning.
    The Jews are such a small community and yet by their absolute brilliance, they manage to reach the top or be the best wherever they are, or in whatever they do.
    Just check out the number of Nobel Pricze winners from this tiny community!! The Jews have been so productive in science, or as doctors, as lawyers, as financiers or as anything else.
    There must be so few Jews in Iran and yet one of them becomes Head of State!!!
    The good thing is that this news should now help to peacefully resolve this tricky issue before the world.

  • Isn’t it typically Jewish to see Jews everywhere? I know I do it…I hope he’s not Jewish, we have enough short, hairy men. (Just in case I get attacked – Family guy joke).

  • Ahmedinejad is jewish? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo..(take a breath) Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…

  • dinnerjacket…a yehudi? i find this very hard to believe. maybe thats why he hasnt targeted the jewish community like the baha’is?

  • Persian persiflage.
    For a number of years, I have believed that President Saborjhian is a kosher: Mizrahi/Ashkenazi/Armenian jew?! It is not so much that he looks like your scheming stereotypical jew; it is far worse than that:– Mahmoud thinks like a jew! And worst of all, he has no need for subterfuge, Ahmadinejad just might exercise his legitimate right of return. If he does, it is a pity that Polish born David Gruen can’t be at the airport to greet the stratospheric pilgrim. Stranger things have happened.

  • Fortunatly he isnt qualified under the law of return because he has made threats against Jews, any one who makes threats against Jews or Israel forfeits their rights. I’m suprised that no one thought about this.

  • Fair Comment Robert,
    All I ask you and the decent Israeli people is this: Is President Ahmadinejad a kosher Mizrahi/Ashkenazi jew or not? I have no friends in Odessa and greater Khazaria but I feel confident, that I could fix him up with an Israeli passport ASAP. Tell Tel Av iv that this is pure English chutzpah.

  • Saborjhian is a kosher yid!
    I will have to tell my kosher friends straight,Saborjhian is a Mizrahi yid. I can smell the stinking. smarmy bastard in Southampton. Jew, rather than pontificate; ask him to take a DNA test; I will gladly pay, I cannot be any more fairer than that.

  • I think the Iranian president is a strong man against jews policy.

  • No he’s not. See [www.guardian.co.uk/…/mahmoud-ahmadinejad-jewish-family]

  • Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the President of Iran is a Jew, he is complicit in the planned attack, that will both reduce the indigenous population of Iran, as well as give his Zionist armed and equipped legions, a real reason to nuke the USA in just retaliation, all for greater Yisrael – The Jews perped 911