American Jews Should Care About and Support the Independence of Kurdistan

Why should American Jews care about and support the independence of Kurdistan?

Because Iraqi Kurdistan is one of the very rare areas of the Middle East where Jews and Judaism are viewed positively.

Because on the day that Kurdistan will be independent, the country will foster cordial relations with Israel, or in any case, normal ones.

Because, as shown in a scene of my film Peshmerga, I do not know another Muslim country where the memory and birthplace of a future Israeli Defense Minister are held in such high regard and with pride.

Because there we find a Ministry of Religious Affairs where there is a department especially dedicated to religious freedom for Jews – And when we ask, with wonder and amazement, “why a department just for the Jews when there are no Jews left in Kurdistan?”, the response is “because we await them, we await and will welcome all those Jewish compatriots who wish to return.”

Because I do not know another country with a Muslim majority where Yom HaShoah is celebrated with devotion and respect each year.

And finally, because the Kurdish fighters, at the price of many lives, have been our only real shield against ISIS.

Bernard-Henri Lévy’s documentary, Peshmerga, will screen at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on October 2nd, followed by a discussion with the director.

Bernard-Henri Lévy is a writer and documentary filmmaker. His Peshmerga! (2016), a Special Selection at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, portrayed the struggle along the thousand-mile front line separating the Kurds from Islamic State. His subsequent La Bataille de Mossoul (2017) explored the fight to retake the city.