( CNN ) -- -- The well-publicized landing of 40 Iranian Jews in Israel on Tuesday spurred glee among some Israelis and the immigrants themselves and drew public scorn from a surprising quarter in Iran -- two officials from its centuries-old Jewish community . One of them described the emigration as a `` misinformation '' campaign and defended their lives under the government of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . The arrival in Israel was publicized as the largest single group to arrive in Israel from Iran since Iran 's Islamic Revolution , and the immigrants traveled via an undisclosed third country . Other Iranian Jews have immigrated to Israel over the years . Anti-Semitism has been a worldwide phenomenon for centuries and the state of Israel became a homeland for Jews to escape anti-Semitic persecution . The group that sponsored the immigration is the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews , based in Chicago . It says it wants to help Jews flee such persecution . The group receives money from evangelical Christians . Its founder , Rabbi Yehiel Eckstein , believes Iranian Jews face dangers , citing the words of Ahmadinejad , who has urged Israel 's destruction but not by military means . There has been great criticism of Ahmadinejad by Jews across the globe for his remarks about Israel , for the government 's stance toward Israel , and for the regime 's sponsorship of a recent Holocaust denial seminar . Eckstein said immigrants received $ 10,000 each because they left behind possessions to go to Israel . Noting the evangelical support from his group , Eckstein , in fact , believes it 's no `` coincidence '' that the people came to Israel on Christmas Day , which Eckstein describes as `` kind of a Christmas present to these folks from Christians in America who seek to tell Israel and the Jewish people that they 're not alone . '' The immigration comes at a time of great tension between Iran , whose president stoutly rejects the Jewish state 's existence , and Israel , which asserts that Iran is funding terrorism , has ambitions to develop nuclear weapons , and is intent on destroying the Jewish state . But the account of the mass immigration was vehemently disputed among Jewish officials in Tehran who defend Jewish life there . The man representing Iranian Jews in Iran 's parliament on Wednesday disputed the notion of an organized immigration of Iranian Jews to Israel , saying he would have known about such a development . Iranian MP Morris Motamed told CNN that he and Ciamak Morehsadegh , the director of the Tehran Jewish Community , had issued a statement condemning the spread of false news about an evangelical organization facilitating the immigration of 40 Iranian Jews to Israel . Iranian Jews can travel anywhere they want , anytime they want , but like other Iranians they are not allowed to go to Israel , Motamed said . Even with that , some Iranian Jews may decide to travel to and from Israel via a third country to visit their families or to visit for religious reasons . However , Motamed called the news a `` misinformation '' campaign aimed at creating an atmosphere of distrust between the Muslim and Jewish communities in Iran . He said it is meant to make Iranian Jews feel unsafe and vulnerable in their own country . He said that before the Islamic Revolution in 1979 , Iranian Jews numbered more than 100,000 , but like other minorities their numbers diminished because of immigration . He said almost 95 percent of Iranian Jews went to the United States and as a result there is now quite a sizable Iranian Jewish community there . The remaining 5 percent , he said , went to Europe and Israel . There are as many as an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 Jews remaining in Iran , the largest Jewish community in the Middle East outside Israel , according to CNN 's Shirzad Bozorghmehr . The U.S. State Department 's 2007 report on religious freedom says the Iranian government 's `` rhetoric and actions created a threatening atmosphere for nearly all non-Shi ' a religious groups , most notably for Baha ' i 's , '' who are based in the Israeli city of Haifa . It also cites `` Sufi Muslims , evangelical Christians , and members of the Jewish community . '' Jews by Iranian constitutional law have the right to practice their religion and `` with some exception , '' there has been scant government restriction and interference with religious practices , the report said . However , `` members of these recognized minority religious groups have reported government imprisonment , harassment , intimidation , and discrimination based on their religious beliefs . '' Jewish education has been tougher to carry out , there has been a rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric , and assaults on two synagogues , the report said . Their contact with or support for the state of Israel has been squelched `` out of fear of reprisal . '' `` Recent anti-American and anti-Israeli demonstrations included the denunciation of Jews , as opposed to the past practice of denouncing only 'Israel ' and `` Zionism , '' adding to the threatening atmosphere for the community , '' the report said . In the Islamic Republic 's Jewish community , there is a different view from voices emerging . Morehsadegh described the Jewish community in Tehran as alive and well , with 20 synagogues , more than eight butcher shops , two restaurants , and four youth groups . `` There is no doubt that the Holocaust happened , '' he said . `` But we disagree with the superpowers who have misused this incident to their own benefit . '' E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report .
Senior Iranian Jew calls mass emigration of 40 Jews to Israel `` misinformation '' 40 Iranian Jews landed in Israel on December 25 . U.S.-based group behind incident receives cash from evangelical Christians . Each immigrant received $ 10,000 to cover abanonded possessions , group admits .