A Rabbi’s Bouquet: When Anti-Zionism Meets Iranian Diplomacy at BRICS

According to Saed News, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, a prominent anti-Zionist figure from the Neturei Karta movement, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Brazil. The meeting, though unofficial, drew attention for its striking optics: Weiss handed Araghchi a carefully arranged bouquet of flowers, symbolizing solidarity with the Iranian people amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

Rabbi Weiss, known for his vocal denunciation of Zionism and his controversial visits to Tehran in previous years, reiterated his movement’s theological opposition to the Israeli state. He had earlier visited the Iranian embassy in Brazil, where he signed a memorial book honoring victims of what he called “the savage aggression” by the Israeli regime against Iran. His actions underscore a recurring theme in Iran’s diplomatic theater—leveraging symbolic alliances with fringe anti-Zionist Jewish voices to counter Israeli narratives on the international stage.

The encounter comes at a delicate moment, as BRICS nations navigate their positions on the Middle East conflict and the broader implications of Western support for Israel. While Weiss holds no governmental role, his presence—flanked by floral diplomacy—served as a soft power gesture Iran has increasingly turned to: invoking moral dissent from within Jewish communities to bolster its foreign policy standing.