Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Afghanistan
Afghanistan: the end of its ancient Jewish community, the Taliban's rejection of ties with the Israeli state, and Israeli-made drones and missiles used by Western armies in the Afghan war
Afghanistan had no Jews reported living there as of 2021, according to the World Jewish Congress (WJC).[1] The last known Jew, Zablon Simintov, left Kabul in September 2021 after the Taliban returned to power and reached "Israel" in November 2024 with the help of the Jewish Agency.[2][3] Afghanistan has never had relations with "Israel", and a Taliban spokesman said in September 2021: "Of course, we won't have any relation with Israel."[4] Several Western armies used Israeli-made drones, missiles and mortars in Afghanistan, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).[5]
Jewish community and religious life
History
The WJC traces the Jewish presence in Afghanistan back "at least 2,500 years" in its summary, but "at least 800 years" in its history section.[1] It reports that in the 12th century Benjamin of Tudela claimed there were 80,000 Jews in Ghazni; that in the first half of the 19th century many Persian Jews fled to Afghanistan from forced conversion in Mashhad; and that by the second half of that century 40,000 Jews lived in the country. In 1948 there were some 5,000 Jews, but "the vast majority left the country for Israel in the early 1950s". The WJC lists a synagogue on Charshi Torabazein Street.[1]
The last Jew
Zablon Simintov (also spelled Zebulon Simentov) lived in and maintained the only synagogue in Kabul, "surviving in part off donations from overseas".[2] He had told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that his community faced systemic discrimination as well as security threats, and said: "If the Taliban return they are going to push us out with a slap in the face."[6] He left Afghanistan in September 2021, a month after the Taliban takeover, with 30 other people, including 28 women and children. The escape was organised by Moti Kahana, an Israeli-American businessman, who said the group had passed multiple Taliban checkpoints by van.[2] According to Jewish News, the group first went to a safe house in Islamabad, after which Simintov chose to go to Turkey rather than "Israel". After three years in Istanbul he arrived in "Israel" in November 2024 "under the auspices of the Jewish Agency".[3] Afghanistan International reported that he had meanwhile tried to emigrate to the United States but encountered administrative problems, and that the Jewish Agency declined to comment on his case.[7]
How far is it Zionist? There is no longer any community. Its emigration went overwhelmingly to "Israel" (see below), and the final departure of its last member was handled by the Jewish Agency, the body that organises immigration to "Israel". No Afghan Jewish organisation with its own documented Zionist activity was found.
Chabad
- Main article: Chabad-Lubavitch movement
Powerbase does not yet have a page on Chabad in Afghanistan. The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States lists no rabbi in Afghanistan.[8]
Zionist movement and advocacy
No Zionist organisation active in Afghanistan was found.
Israeli state and commercial ties
Diplomacy
Afghanistan and "Israel" have never had diplomatic relations; the Israeli foreign ministry's 2011 list of relations does not include Afghanistan.[9] In September 2021 the Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told the Russian state news agency Sputnik that the movement wanted relations with the United States and other countries, but: "Of course, we won't have any relation with Israel." In August 2021 Shaheen had given an interview to the Israeli broadcaster Kan, and later said he had not realised he was speaking to an Israeli journalist.[4] i24NEWS attributed the September 2021 Sputnik remarks to another Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid.[10]
In October 2022 i24NEWS quoted an unnamed former Afghan official in Kabul who said that a faction of around 200 people within the Taliban, including top officials, was "interested in establishing confidential relations" with "Israel"; the source stressed that this was not official Taliban policy. Asked by Al Jazeera whether the Taliban ruled out relations, Muhammad Naeem, spokesman for the movement's Political Office, replied: "What problem do we have with Israel? Next thing someone will ask whether we are willing to have a dialogue with Mars."[10]
Arms
SIPRI records no Israeli arms deliveries to Afghan forces. It does record Israeli weapons supplied to Western armies specifically "for use in Afghanistan":[5]
- United Kingdom: 20 Hermes-450 reconnaissance drones (2007, the $110 million "Project Lydian", for Iraq and Afghanistan) and five more in 2012; 200 Spike-NLOS missiles (2010–2012, British designation Exactor).
- Germany: five Heron drones leased in 2010–2011 and a RecceLite reconnaissance system for Tornado aircraft (2009).
- Canada: three Heron drones on a two-year lease from 2008 (CU-170).
- Australia: ten Heron drones leased in 2009 through a Canadian company.
- Netherlands: five Aerostar drones leased in 2009, owned and operated by an Israeli and a British company.
- Spain: 16 Searcher drones (2007–2008).
- Denmark: 20 K-6 120mm mortars (2010).
Trade
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics does not list Afghanistan separately in its trade-by-country table.[11]
Migration and aliyah
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics counts immigrants born in Afghanistan as follows:
- 2,303 in 1948–51;
- 1,106 in 1952–60;
- 516 in 1961–71;
- 132 in 1972–79;
- 57 in the 1980s;
- 23 in the 1990s;
- 23 in 2000–2020;
- 4 in 2021.[12]
The WJC gives a total of 4,123 Afghan Jews emigrating to "Israel" since 1948.[1]
Political interference
UN voting
No vote by Afghanistan is recorded on the September 2025 General Assembly resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on a two-state solution.[13]
Jeffrey Epstein
Documents released by the US Department of Justice in the Jeffrey Epstein files include the following references to Afghanistan:
- On 24 December 2010 Prince Andrew, Duke of York, sent Epstein "a confidential brief produced by the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province for International Investment Opportunities", saying he would offer it elsewhere in his network, including Abu Dhabi, and that the Gates Foundation "doesn't do anything in Afghanistan". Epstein replied: "send john sullivans number please".[14]
- In June 2011 the businessman Tom Pritzker wrote to Epstein from "a remote valley of Afghanistan", saying he had spent time with General David Petraeus, who "loaned me a chopper".[15]
- In March 2013 Epstein asked Boris Nikolic: "Re Afghanistan, does foreign corrupt practice act apply to foundation work?"[16]
- In June 2013 Terje Rød-Larsen forwarded to Epstein a note from Nasra Hassan reporting that "BG" had spoken by telephone to President Hamid Karzai about polio eradication in Afghanistan. Epstein replied: "bg will send 5 million to start".[17]
- In August 2015 Rød-Larsen forwarded to Epstein a "Brief update on post-Mullah Omar situation" by Nasra Hassan on the Taliban leadership succession.[18]
See also
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Pakistan
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Iran
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Tajikistan
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Uzbekistan
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 World Jewish Congress, Community in Afghanistan worldjewishcongress.org, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Last known member of Afghanistan's Jewish community leaves country, taking dozens of women and children with him CNN, 9 September 2021.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jenni Frazer, Afghanistan's last Jew finally makes it to Israel Jewish News, 12 November 2024.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Taliban: We want ties with US and rest of the world, but not Israel Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 9 September 2021.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI Arms Transfers Database SIPRI, trade register for Israel as supplier, 1950–2025, data generated 20 October 2026.
- ↑ Last Afghan Jew Leaves Amid Minority Exodus In Fear Of Taliban Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 10 September 2021.
- ↑ Last Afghan Jew Finally Reaches Israel Afghanistan International, November 2024.
- ↑ Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, The Rabbis rabbisalliance.org, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations mfa.gov.il, archived 5 August 2011.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Taliban faction sees relations with Israel as in Afghans' interests i24NEWS, 18 October 2022.
- ↑ Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), Foreign Trade Statistics Monthly, Table D1: Trade Countries – Imports and Exports CBS, December 2025 issue (library copy).
- ↑ Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), Statistical Abstract of Israel 2024, Table 2.55: Immigrants, by period of immigration, country of birth and last country of residence CBS, 2024.
- ↑ United Nations General Assembly, Recorded vote on A/80/L.1/Rev.1: Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, 12 September 2025 (copy hosted by Al-Quds Al-Arabi).
- ↑ Email thread between Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein, "Re: Afghanistan International Investment opportunities", 24–25 December 2010, EFTA00901048, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Data Set 9, copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ Email thread between Tom Pritzker and Jeffrey Epstein, "Re: it can wait", 6 June 2011, EFTA01865679, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Data Set 10, copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ Email thread between Jeffrey Epstein and Boris Nikolic, "Re: just called you", 5–6 March 2013, EFTA01900618, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Data Set 10, copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ Email thread between Terje Rød-Larsen and Jeffrey Epstein, "Fw: BG spoke on telephne to Prez Karzai of Afghanistan", June 2013, EFTA01971254, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Data Set 10, copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ Email from Terje Rød-Larsen to Jeffrey Epstein, "Fwd: Brief update on post-Mullah Omar situation", 11 August 2015, EFTA00657953, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Data Set 9, copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein, accessed 21 October 2026.