First Jewish Candidate Runs for Syrian Parliament Since 1967
ARK News.. Syrian-American rabbi Henry Youssef Hamra has announced his candidacy for a seat in the People’s Assembly representing Damascus, becoming the first Jewish candidate since Syrian Jews were barred from parliamentary elections following the June War in 1967.
In a statement released via social media, Hamra confirmed his bid under the slogan “Toward a Prosperous, Tolerant, and Just Syria,” emphasizing his campaign goals of “justice, preserving Syria’s heritage, and lifting sanctions.”
Hamra, 48, is the son of Yosef Hamra, the Chief Rabbi of Syrian Jews in New York. He left Syria in 1992 after then-President Hafez al-Assad lifted the travel ban imposed on Jewish residents. At that time, fewer than ten Jews remained in the Syrian capital.
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