Feud between Kabul's last remaining Jews

(6 Aug 2002)
1. Various of Ishaq Levin praying at the Jewish cemetery of Kabul.
2. SOUNDBITE: (Dari) Ishaq Levin: "I came here today to deliver my prayers. This is the old Jewish cemetery of
Kabul where more than 500 of my people, most of them my relatives in one way or the other are buried."
3. Various of Afghan children watching Levin pray
4. Various of Levin praying
5. SOUNDBITE: (Dari) Ishaq Levin: There used to be 70-80 Jewish families living in Kabul alone plus some 150
families in the town of Herat in the West. But when the political turmoil started in Afghanistan some
twenty five years ago, all those revolutions and wars, almost everyone fled to Israel. So, for the last
twenty five years I'm totally alone alone here."
6. Various of Zebulon Simentov praying at the Kabul synagogue
7. SOUNDBITE: (Dari) Zebulon Simentov: "Our elders in Israel wanted me to take the Torah and other holy
scrolls from Kabul synagogue to Israel. But Ishaq Levin did not want that to happen. He reported me to
the Taliban police as a thief and a dangerous subversive element. "
7. Various dilapidated interiors of synagogue
8. Zebulon Simentov showing the writ issued by Taliban banning him from opening the cupboard containing
Jewish scrolls
9. Peeling synagogue walls
10. Stairs between the ground and the first floor of the synagogue with the Star of David as an ornament
11. Ishaq Levin praying in his room at the first floor of the synagogue
12. SOUNDBITE: (Dari) Ishaq Levin: "When he arrived I was hoping he would become my support and soulmate.
instead he reported me to the Taliban police who beat me"
13. Various exteriors of the Kabul synagogue
14. Zebulon Simentov praying in the synagogue's main room
15. Ishaq Levin praying in his room
STORYLINE:
The Jewish community in Afghanistan was once a proud one, with 40-thousand people, flourishing businesses and a
distinctive Torah design.
But the population eroded through the last century, and recent decades have seen the Soviet invasion,
civil war and the rise of the radical Islamic Taliban movement to power.
After Israel came into being in 1948, most of the 5,000 Jews still in Afghanistan emigrated there, but Ishaq Levin stayed in Kabul. He was the synagogue's shamash, or caretaker, before the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, when most of the remaining Jews left.
Now in his late seventies - he says he does not know how old he is - Levin often visits the Jewish cemetery where some 500 Jews were buried in the last 150 years. Most of them are related to Levin in one way or another.
The cemetery stands totally abandoned in the outskirts of Kabul with not a single tomb stone remaining intact. It's in an area that saw some of the most ferocious fighting of the war between Afghan mujahedin and Taliban for control over the Afghan capital.
Levin likes to say that he's the only Jew remaining in Kabul. That is not exactly the case.
Zebulon Simentov, 43 is another Kabul Jew and a bitter enemy of Levin. Simentov re-emigrated from Israel some
five years ago. He wanted to start a carpet business and also to send the Kabul synagogue Torah to
where most of Afghan Jews now are - Israel. He has failed on both counts.
Today Afghanistan's last two Jews, Ishaq Levin and Zebulon Simentov, live at separate ends of the same
decaying synagogue in the Afghan capital and are feuding, each claiming to be the rightful owner of the
synagogue and its paraphernalia.
The walls of the building are peeling. The windows are shattered and old prayer books are crumbling in
the holy ark.
Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives ​​
Instagram: / apnews
#kabul #jews #feud
You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

[@MrZZooh]

Apparently Zublon and Ishaq didn't like each other at all. When Ishaq died he said something to the effect of good riddance. Taliban got sick of their constant bickering in jail and set them both free.

[@myjourneytotruth]

Good tactic on both their ends 😉

[@jinlim6575]

they were all agents...taliban is fake...

[@rh81454]

lmfao! That last part is hilarious.

[@mina_loi]

hahaha

[@redbeanrin9545]

Why did they got to jail?

[@ElwoodBluesAK]

Zabulon have a very good hearing though.

[@maciejrozanski154]

Only when his name is mentioned, its his superpower.

[@buzifalus]

it's like in the movies where you can hear a dead person's voice in the background except he is not dead

[@dpelpal]

Ishaq _was_ talking shit, tho. 🤷‍♀

[@toblerone_agent4090]

The most glorious conflict of all time

[@beacarmen23]

On 7 September 2021, he left Afghanistan via help from a private security company organised by Israeli-American businessman Moti Kahana, after which it was discovered his distant relative, Tova Moradi, was actually the last Jew living in Afghanistan before fleeing in October 2021.

[@OffGridInvestor]

The younger guy has actually GONE BACK and left his wife and kids behind. Apparently he wants to sell the place but also calls kabul home.

[@russiangeneralcat]

​@@OffGridInvestor he left them behind because in Jewish law for getting a divorce a man must agree and he didn't want to divorce his wife for a materialistic reason so he left to Afghanistan

[@beacarmen23]

Eventually, he left with several neighbouring families, stating that it was not the Taliban, but the possibility of other, more radical Islamist groups like IS-KP taking him hostage, which resulted in his exit from the country.[25][9] After leaving Afghanistan, Simintov granted his wife a divorce.[26] In October 2021, Simintov's cousin Tova Moradi also fled Afghanistan.[10]

[@OffGridInvestor]

The younger guy went back recently

[@MFTQ]

The first one shown is now dead. They're is only one last jew in Afghanistan

[@rid1bee]

He's leaving for Israel soon.

[@Brian-qt6su]

He decided to stay in Kabul because the organization shuttling him out wouldn’t give him money to settle his debts in Afghanistan

[@EzioAuditoreDaFirenze99]

He was evacuated to Israel in 2021

[@GLOBAL-INTIFADA]

What a shame he has to spend he's final days in that evil place ​@@EzioAuditoreDaFirenze99

[@AKH-cq1tq]

It's your country doesn't matter who you are, Muslim, Hindu or Jew. You have right to have a worship. I know it's not easy for you!!!!

[@rabiasoma]

Yes, you are right at first part, and it easy for me & all Muslims because our religion teaches us to respect all religions and we do. My reply is for those make discrimination between Afghan Muslims tribe & all Muslim world, we are not better then each other, but who has more piety (taqwa), he/she better then us

[@Mrpotato-gs2ur]

A bunch of hyprocrisy peoples from western and Isnoreal occupied state doesn't care this.​@@rabiasoma

[@trapptrappy6481]

​@@rabiasomaanywhere Muslims gain dominance they wipe out every other religion from that place. We see that every time.

[@KingSaheb0079]

No one in the video is being forbidden from worshipping. Why comment this?

[@far_centrist]

​@@KingSaheb0079 Because indian bjp persecute non hindus

[@mr.blonde8808]

only Zebulon now

[@raprockscarlett]

Now it seems that there are no jews left in Afghanistan. Zebulon promised to go to "Israel" if the Taliban came back to power (which is happening unfortunately). He left his country without recovering the ancient valuable torah stolen by the taliban warlord Kairkhwa.

[@fahoodie1852]

@@raprockscarlett he hasn’t left, surprisingly. He’s still in Afghanistan

[@johpfit760]

@@raprockscarlett he decided to stay

[@windchimes4227]

@@fahoodie1852 because Israel won’t absolve his debt. A true player.

[@msa052]

@@fahoodie1852 my god a true patriot !

[@mina_loi]

why did you not caption this?

[@anthonymartinez1692]

Check the description

[@mina_loi]

​@@anthonymartinez1692after reading all that watching the video is pointless

[@alukuhito]

Why don't you? This is a free service. Don't be such a whiner.

[@user-so2fu7df1e]

@@alukuhito ​Are you dumb? If he understood language good enough the caption this video, you think he would need caption? I wonder where people like you come from

[@dimspacha]

WHY NO SUBTITLES???

[@vieiradosreismariadelurdes9105]

This Chanel never had subtitles,ever.

[@maryamzrk945]

AP Archive rocks for such content 👌👌👌💫💫💫😂😂😂

[@brianfarid]

Where can I buy this film?

[@Yitzhakhazak]

Scram!

[@ionutvictor4545]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4e2d4iFbZKdrpI

[@pramitsur3445]

Zebulon has left too. 💔

[@johnlop7763]

really????

[@mohammadshia7790]

@@johnlop7763 Yes only one hindu priest remaining

[@saraschwarz6597]

This really upset me.

[@joshuaortiz5141]

@@mohammadshia7790 wait who? What’s his name?

[@nickohteen]

​@@johnlop7763no he lied. He is still in Afghanistan. The Taliban gave him a synagogue. Now he is the only jew remaining and takes care of the synagogue

[@uveantonio4094]

So that man is zabulon

[@janiskhan1822]

Wow This Old man with the beard looks like My Grandad exactly. Yes There is an old Jewish connection before we embraced Islam?.....

[@EvaLasta]

Yes we are all genetically related! We are from the same areas too. For some reason people want to have war over religious beliefs lol

[@janiskhan1822]

@@EvaLasta I Know Honestly Living in London You meet people all over the world. And When I've met any Person they always say you Look Jewish with Honest heart. No Matter what religion belief you will believe the Genetic Make up of the Human Being Physical features would never Lie?... For Example Look at Modern days Spaniards Even though they have Christian Names and Belief They Still do look "Arab Muslims" from North Africa and Middle east?....

[@nomosciya8805]

@@janiskhan1822 bro genetic and blood relations don’t mean anything the only thing that matters is if people belong to your group, either religious group in our case or for example the western liberalistic “group” (ideological group), if the human shares the same fundamental thoughts and feelings as me he is much closer to me than someone from my own ethnicity who holds views that go completely against my own. We were gifted with Aql and are not animals who bond over physical similarities.

[@Uzbek_from_Brooklyn]

Yes Pashtuns are one of the lost tribes of Israel. Pashtuns are real jews who accepted Islam long time ago.

[@ZimoNitrome]

Could anyone translate?

[@daMacadamBlob]

Look at the description

[@Izackmen]

ok

[@hunkwasbisyan007]

Alternate title: Rare leaked footage from Da Afghanistan Bank (The national bank of Afghanistan).

[@gissie391]

Why they not ask God brothers feuding .in Isreal simentov has scrolls , if he takes scrolls now then the older man has nothingbleft not even Gods Word pointing him to the Messiah.or if old man went yo Israel hed take the blessed scrolls or leave them for Afghanst to read.?sad.feel sorry for the old man.

[@willshogren1987]

Hell yeah

[@louisdzialo9990]

dudes rock

[@ac1dP1nk]

sitcom now

[@shia_pan_iranist]

Who are these people?

[@INDmapping500]

You are my subscriber, right?

[@shia_pan_iranist]

@@INDmapping500 yes

[@01hZ]

@@shia_pan_iranist they are jews of afghanistan

[@Threezi04]

The man with the beard must have been dead for more than a decade or two by now, only the other guy is still around. Edit: I looked it up, the bearded man (Isaac Levi) died in January 2005 from diabetes at the age of 80.

[@phillipkeane1534]

The other guy announced he is leaving today. he's going to Israel because America is pulling troops out.

[@moduleapothem6446]

@@phillipkeane1534 Turns out he’s staying

[@Welcome2TheInternet]

@@moduleapothem6446 Yeah. I guess he's used to this shit by now 🤣

[@alex_3593]

@@phillipkeane1534He litterally annoyed the old Taliban so much that they just let him go

[@sharrumiter6936]

Keep up with new news fellas, high times for our friend!

[@muzamil-sf3hn]

Respect for the followers of all religions.

[@sohrabamiri7917]

It's inhumanity if someone or authorities haram or treating an especial old man Or woman Or even if someone is alone In my country if someone was alone in a City or village people helping them But i came from south to North police has a bad behaviour to me and my cusin The officer was a uneducaed And we did nothing wrong we just walking in the city authorities did bad behaviour just because we were grom South of the country maybe they wanted ransom But they ashamed asking for it we knows no one over there and than a Lady heard our dispute and came and talks to the stuped officer And we were released

[@copkhan007]

2 jews living peacefully and without fear amongst many Muslims in Afghanistan. Compare that to Million Muslims living in fear without basic necessities surrounded by the jews in Palestine. Islam is the true religion.

[@Ramses-xn9gs]

They were literally jailed lol your peaceful religion is the reason all the Jews left Afghanistan , there are thousands of Muslims living and working normal jobs in Israel

[@imtiajsiam2205]

Hindos wont accept that

[@lanabanana5436]

Is that why muslims are responsabile for so many terror attacks cause of how "peaceful" they are?

[@Sebastian-de9vu]

what kind of stupid argument is that, and by the way, all over the middle-east and north africa non-muslims get persecuted and killed, forced to marry a muslim or to convert.. Everywhere muslims get in contact with non-muslims conflict arises.. You ever wonder why these men are the two last jews in Afghanistan. Islam is an agressive cult that tries to spread itself by any means necessary, even if that means killing people of your own family because they apostate.. it's disgusting

[@crafterianinks7219]

Yeah even their historians accept this. How They have lived under mUslims for 1000 years. Remember the conquer of Jerusalem by Caliph - He allowed the kicked out Js in Jerusalem once again David Wasserstein -How Islam saved J wry

[@linamansourri1937]

I think the Muslim in AFG should protect the jew´s in Afghanistan from every kind of discrimination

[@radnj4610]

They must protect all religious minorities.

[@sinaneken3601]

Lina Mansourri they should I’m Muslim but they should

[@johpfit760]

They lived there under the Taliban and were a huge annoyance to them because they would constantly falsely accuse eatch other of crimes

[@YTChannel344]

This guy is not Jewish, the Jewish claim was a local joke which these Afghans fell for.

[@ophirbactrius8285]

Yes they(Muslims of Afghanistan) did protect Afghanistan jews but they still fled away to Israel just same like in USA, Canada, Ethiopia amd Europe.

[@ma-lm9vn]

that’s so sad that all jews have to leave their homeland

[@GoodVibes9988]

they didnt have to mf they left to the us greedy jeoos

[@fullstoppunctuation5860]

They didnt have to lol. They all went to israel when it became a country they couldnt care less about their own homeland

[@ZORGIN]

@@fullstoppunctuation5860 Why would they stay and get persecuted?

[@chashmal10]

@@fullstoppunctuation5860literally the Arab countries kicked them out. The largest Jewish population there was in Iraq. After Israel was founded, Iraq made it a crime punishable by death simply to be Jewish. They had to leave. So they went to Israel. Then the Arabs are all mad that Israel is strong. Congratulations you played yourself

[@fullstoppunctuation5860]

@@ZORGIN They lived in afghanistan for over 1000 years and they were fine

[@raffeyosmani1493]

Its the same religion.

[@rehankhan1778]

Juadism and islam is same

[@rehankhan1778]

But they reject our prophet and prophet isa too

[@laceywantsbass]

Hmm, I wonder why 🤔

[@EvaLasta]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/amrPXpqVidl6nqs

[@mohammedhabib1728]

Afghanistan is 5000 year old country in history

[@zaheerzazei362]

Its Pakistans falt

[@user-im6qy5gi9d]

دمت گرم شما مال افغانستان هستید نه مال اسرائیل

[@Sheepybearry]

But the Taliban isn’t very tolerant.

[@khanimran1238]

Ask any pashtoon he will tell you hes bani isreal in herat there are very old tombs with hebrew writings

[@solohabib7]

Do they have Pashtuns in Herat?

[@MrZZooh]

@@solohabib7 the British moved them there to lessen Persian influence apparently.

[@piscagherila9981]

Stop LARPing

[@kalajari1749]

​@@MrZZoohBritish couldnt move anyone buddy they failed 3 invasions 🤣🤣🤣

[@Deepak_3860]

Why muslims so intolerant.

[@ahmadfawadsharifi1615]

Taliban are pushtoons but they are also rooted from Israel but i don't know why they are not developing and still life they live 500 years behind , imagin Taliban forcing these two brothers to become Muslim , some one must have asked them you are Muslim what did you do to yourself that you convert others by force. Every one has the right to follow his/her beleives and live togather in a envoirnment . I respect all religions if some from any religion dose bad it dose not mean his whole religion is bad.

[@rehankhan1778]

Jews are muslims too

[@masoudsadat7298]

They should have a place of worship. Pashjews shouldn't hide.

[@Amadeus-ms9lt]

There is a synagogue run by Zablon Simintov in Kabul.

[@EvaLasta]

@Iwwy Iw khazar myth has been debunked countless times. Its basis is established on anti zionism and there is no evidence of this. All 3 main types of Jews, sephardim, mizrahim and ashkenazim are all genetically equal and even look the same

[@ajmairrahman8301]

pashton from Bani Israel

[@jdmalik4920]

He is not pashtoon

[@jdmalik4920]

Tajik not Pashtun Pashto

[@ltttt9448]

He is speaking Farsi not Pashto

[@yaseen6959]

@@jdmalik4920 im afghan muslim tajik farsi speaking he is jaw not pashto speaking

[@yaseen6959]

He is not Pashtun he's tajik jawish I'm tajik from Afghanistan I'm Muslim

[@darkenergy8140]

indeed we pashtuns are bani israel

[@ltttt9448]

Both of them are speaking Farsi though , that too with herati accent, don’t seem like Pashtuns

[@darkenergy8140]

@Royal Tags I'm not a Jew I'm khilji pashtun from afghanistan . but according to our life style we are similar to Jews

[@patron75]

They are Persian/Tajik Jews man, from Herat. Nothing with related to Pashtuns

[@maryama8998]

Just because he speaks Herati doesn’t mean anything. I speak Persian, German, English, Afghan that doesn’t mean I’m not a Muslim or afghan

[@yaseen6959]

@@patron75 I'm tajik from kulabi takher I'm Muslim I know many our tajiks Christian Jewish cummuests

[@ajmairrahman8301]

I am pashton I know my family from 5 thousands years I am Muslim but I am Bani Israel

[@alikhanmoazzam]

Ajmair Rahman what crap !!

[@noorullahkhan4513]

You are not Pashtun. Pashtun are Afghans and Afghans are pashtun is called Afghanistan. That's it You are stupid and crazy you don't have idea what to say. Afghans have a history more than 5000 year's and they are the only people who have accepted concept of One God from the beginning of life and they accepted all Messengers of God with the passage of time . "(There is) none worthy of worship except Allah. Muhammad(sal-allahu-alayhi-waallyhi-wsalum) is Messenger of ALLAH." ALLAH O AKBAR.

[@user-ei5pr6xc6q]

For a long time I have been interested in people like you Pashtun, this is a fascinating subject, I would like to ask you a few questions, can you please answer my request? For example, what do the elders say? What is "Bnei Yisrael"?

[@ltttt9448]

But both these guys on videos have heavy Farsi accents they seem to be herati not Pashtuns, I’m from Kabul

[@maryama8998]

@@ltttt9448 doesn’t matter what their accent is it’s their belief not accent

[@maryama8998]

All pashtoons are jews, their ancestors were Jews and their culture has just been mixed a little with Muslim otherwise they are Jews from bani Israil

[@user-fo7iq6xs7o]

As we can see which language they used to speak

[@yaseen6959]

Pashtun people not jawish Pashtun all sunni Muslims tajik people have jawish and charstians

[@yaseen6959]

Pashtun people not jawish Pashtun all sunni Muslims tajik people have jawish and charstians

[@user-ei4ce8np9s]

No

[@CINADAPmusuhkita]

funny to see Jewish want Pashtun blood in them haha

[@waissafi7982]

For those in the comments here who claim Pashtoons are Jews; Please evaluate these claims with reasoning. Most all of the Jews that lived in Afghanistan including Ishaaq and Zubloon speak FARSI not Pashto. If anything one can claim the the Tajiks are likely more closer to the tribe of Judah then anyone else. If the Pashtoon were Jews , why would they beat Ishaaq as a fellow Jew? Let's do away with this nonsense. Afghanistan is the heartland of the Arian people and it is not conceivable to accept that any tribe in Afghanistan can be linked to jewish diaspora . Afghanistan is JEW free. Much respect to Jewish Prophets from Moses to Aaron and Esa' (Jesus).

[@redbaron9029]

They have a lot in common with their ancestors the jews.

[@shernawabkhan9441]

You tajiks were ruled by russia for a good long time looking at you you look so russian

[@pomegranateanaar4353]

:(

[@raprockscarlett]

Number of Jews in Afghanistan today: 0

[@amazingabby25]

What happened

[@raprockscarlett]

@@amazingabby25 Simitrov leaves Kabul. He went to Israel this week

[@amazingabby25]

Saúl Tercero he made it safe ?

[@raprockscarlett]

@@amazingabby25 Let's hope so. Good luck to that good man.

[@mobinxd]

I thought he stayed in Afghanistan

[@mogabriel5238]

Lol

[@masoudsadat7298]

Pashjews 😬🤷🏻‍♂️😆😂😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@eldesconocido5734]

@Ahmed is it true?

[@asgherali4388]

one Taliban Ally Second Nato

[@raymondmann9015]

He’s not a real jew

[@lulucohen6889]

hoq

[@lulucohen6889]

how

[@8SugarRayRobinson8]

Yes but all pashtoons are real jew please let pashtoons emigrate to Israel

[@ludwigvoncocksucker3275]

Zabulon was a man of the people!