Dr Forough Amin is the founder of Iranian Women in NZ.

OPINION: Since the start of the recent US and Israel attacks on the regime in Iran, a phenomenon has puzzled outside observers; the presence of Israeli flags at many Iranian diaspora rallies across the world.

Many outsiders ask with genuine confusion: Isn’t Israel supposed to be the villain? Isn’t Israel bombing Iran? Why would Iranians cheer for Israel?

To understand this paradox, one must look at both the recent history of the two countries and deep historical relationship between Iranians and Jews.

Before 1979, Iran and Israel had a close but low-key relationship. Iran formally recognised Israel in 1950, but in order to avoid provoking of Arab countries, it refrained from full diplomatic normalisation and never…