Zablon Siminov, the last Afghan Jew to seek refuge in Israel
Zablon Siminov was the last Afghan Jew to seek refuge in Israel after Türkiye.
The Jerusalem Post news network reported on Tuesday, November 12, that Zabulon had sought refuge in Israel from Turkey. According to the news network, he arrived in Israel on Thursday, November 7, and joined his family, who had moved to Israel years ago.
Siminov, 65, a Jew born in Herat, was the caretaker of Kabul's only synagogue before the Taliban came to power, and was also involved in the carpet trade and restaurant business. Before the Taliban returned, he had said in interviews with various media outlets that he would not leave Afghanistan. It is true that threats and the difficulty of being away from his family have put pressure on him, but he has a strong attachment to his birthplace.
Zabulon left Afghanistan for Turkey in 2021 after the collapse of the republican government and the return of the Taliban. His brother Benjamin also announced that he arrived in Israel last Thursday night and surprised his family.
Benjamin Siminov said: "My brother called me on Thursday at around 9 or 10 pm and said, 'Congratulations, your brother is in Israel.' I couldn't believe what I was hearing. We were at his place of residence in southern Israel until Saturday night."
According to information published by the Jerusalem Post, Zabulon left Afghanistan with the help of the Jewish Agency and was supported by it while he was living in Turkey. This organization is a non-profit and international Jewish organization established to help Jews around the world. The Jewish organization initially worked to facilitate Jewish immigration to the Land of Palestine and later to Israel.
