Afghanistan’s last Jew still won’t leave the country (or divorce his wife)

JTA — Amid the Taliban’s whole takeover of Afghanistan this week, some had particular issues about one individual: that nation’s final remaining Jew, 62-year-old Zebulun Simantov.

Simantov, who has lately lived in Kabul’s solely synagogue, mentioned earlier this yr that he would go away earlier than the Taliban arrived, presumably for Israel. He has additionally mentioned that the Taliban jailed him through the fundamentalist Muslim group’s final maintain on energy in Afghanistan, and that they tried to transform him and regard him as an infidel.

Days after the Taliban takeover, Simantov’s whereabouts stay unclear.

In the meantime, Israeli media has revealed new details about the household state of affairs of the carpet supplier and former restaurant proprietor who grew up within the metropolis of Herat, together with that for many years he has refused to grant his spouse a divorce.

Right here’s what we all know proper now.

Many individuals try to assist Simantov — but it surely’s unclear if he needs them to.

A number of Jewish organizations have expressed willingness to assist Simantov if he needs to go away. And Mendy Chitrik, chair of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, mentioned he has been in touch with authorities in Turkey, the place he lives, about Simantov.

Zabolon Simantov touches the mezuzah in his doorway, an overt signal of Jewish residency. (Ezzatullah Mehrdad/ Instances of Israel)

However an worker of a Jewish group informed the Jewish Telegraphic Company {that a} journalist in Kabul contacted Simantov Sunday, and that Simantov informed the journalist he wouldn’t depart.

Moti Kahana, an Israeli-American businessman, mentioned individuals taken with getting Simantov out of Afghanistan have reached him after the takeover however that he declined, demanding “private funding.”

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It wasn’t the primary time Simantov had tried to extort somebody searching for to contact him. “I don’t go below 200 {dollars},” one journalist from a German information group reported him as saying in 2015. One other account from final yr has Simantov demanding $500 from an Israeli journalist for an interview, lastly deciding on $100.

Amie Ferris-Rotman, a British-Jewish journalist who used to work in Afghanistan, informed the Jewish Telegraphic Company, “He actually preferred alcohol, and used to insist journalists who needed to interview him convey some.”

It’s unclear whether or not Simantov has spoken publicly because the Taliban seized Kabul. An Indian information channel, WION, on Tuesday quoted him as saying that he wouldn’t depart Afghanistan, however the report featured archive footage solely.

His refusal to divorce his spouse has spurred worldwide diplomacy up to now.

Studies about Simantov up to now have famous that his spouse and daughters moved to Israel in 1998. On Wednesday, reviews emerged in Israeli media that he has refused for greater than 20 years to divorce his spouse below Jewish regulation. (Yedioth Aharonoth in 2010 already reported in regards to the makes an attempt of Simantov’s spouse, who lives in Holon close to Tel Aviv and has not been named within the Israeli media, to divorce him.)

Zabolon Simantov holding his Jewish prayer ebook. (Ezzatullah Mehrdad/ Instances of Israel)

Below Jewish regulation, a “get,” or rabbinic invoice of divorce, is required for girls to have the ability to remarry. Ladies whose husbands refuse to provide a get are generally known as “agunot,” or chained ladies, and their plight is seen as a significant level of gender inequality in Orthodox Judaism. In recent times, Orthodox rabbis have invested effort to handle the difficulty.

That was the case a decade in the past, when Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the president of the Convention of European Rabbis, provided in 2011 to fly to Kabul to acquire a get for Simantov’s spouse. Ferris-Rotman heard in regards to the lady’s makes an attempt to acquire a Jewish divorce certificates from Israeli colleagues.

“I knew Zebulun and I knew Rabbi Goldschmidt, so I attempted to see how we are able to resolve the state of affairs,” Ferris-Rotman, who now lives in London, informed JTA. She mentioned others had mentioned pressuring Simantov up to now.

However Simantov refused to satisfy Goldschmidt, regardless of being provided a hard-to-obtain commodity to sweeten the deal. “Even after Amie provided a case of single malt scotch, the person refused,” Goldschmidt tweeted on Wednesday.

We tried with Amie FR, correspondent in Kabul, to get him to agree to put in writing a Get and I used to be able to fly to Kabul to manage it. However, even after Amie provided a case of single malt scotch, the person refused…….. @Amie_FR @avitalrachel @ZvikaKlein @SamuelSokol https://t.co/cyLk4TwZuc

— Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt (@PinchasRabbi) August 18, 2021

In Israel, males decided to be “recalcitrant spouses” can face jail time, and Israeli media mentioned that Simantov is staying in Afghanistan to keep away from coping with his divorce and rabbinic authorities. However a spokesman for the Israeli Chief Rabbinate informed JTA he was unfamiliar with a ruling or edict from a rabbinical decide denouncing Simantov as a recalcitrant partner, or “sarvan.”

Ferris-Rotman mentioned she had requested Simantov why he wouldn’t grant his spouse a divorce. “He would say, ‘Oh, her, I’m accomplished along with her,’” she mentioned.

He’s had issues getting together with others earlier than.

“He’s one thing of a disgruntled previous man,” mentioned Ferris-Rotman, who communicated with Simantov in Russian, which he doesn’t communicate very properly. Simantov, whose foremost language is Dari, the Afghan dialect of Persian, additionally speaks damaged Hebrew.

Simantov had a famously dangerous relationship with Kabul’s different remaining Jew, Ishaq Levin, till Levin died in 2005. Talking about Levin to The Guardian, Simantov mentioned: “The previous man was loopy,” screwing a finger towards his temple as an instance the purpose.

A Taliban fighter sits on the again of a car with a machine gun in entrance of the principle gate resulting in the Afghan presidential palace, in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 16, 2021. (Rahmat Gul/AP)

The 2 lived at reverse ends of the synagogue, the report mentioned, and would solely alternate curses. Based on tales Simantov has informed journalists over time, every man went to the Taliban to accuse the opposite of felony conduct. He mentioned the 2 argued a lot in jail that the Taliban launched them each — although the group saved a Torah that Levin and Simantov had tried to get better.

One report Wednesday steered that Daniel Kurtzer, US ambassador to Israel from 2001 to 2005, may additionally have been concerned in Simantov’s divorce diplomacy. However Kurtzer’s recollection means that he was doubtless engaged on the difficulty for Simantov’s housemate, Ishaq.

“What I did was organize for a Jewish chaplain within the US Military to go to the synagogue in Kabul the place this man was dwelling, and to attempt to persuade him to provide a get. The chaplain did get again to me to say that the person was unwilling to take action,” Kurtzer recalled.

The following yr, the chaplain was again in Kabul and sought to attempt once more. However he realized that the husband had died, so the lady in Israel was knowledgeable that she was not an agunah, however an almana, or widow.

His destiny below the Taliban is unclear.

Simantov has been a well known native persona. Journalists got here to him repeatedly and a few taxi drivers already knew the place he lives in Kabul, the place lots of the streets don’t have any names.

Which means the Taliban is aware of simply what he thinks. In contrast to Ishaq, who mentioned he had no quarrel with the Taliban, solely with Simantov, Simantov has been outspoken about his disdain for the Taliban. Ferris-Rotman mentioned that was the case when she lived in Afghanistan, and it was nonetheless the case this spring when Simantov carried out an on-air interview.

Males regulate the Taliban flag earlier than the arrival of Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid (unseen) to handle the primary press convention in Kabul on August 17, 2021 following the Taliban beautiful takeover of Afghanistan. (Hoshang Hashimi / AFP)

For now, the Taliban says Simantov should not have any motive to concern. On Tuesday, an Israeli journalist from the Kan broadcaster requested Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesperson in Doha, Qatar, whether or not Simantov can be protected below Taliban.

Shaheen, who mentioned he was not conscious that he was talking to an Israeli publication, mentioned: “We don’t hurt minorities. There are Sikhs and Hindus within the nation, they usually have their spiritual freedom.”