Cyrus Built the Temple, Trump Recognized Jerusalem: Is the Islamic Republic the Heir of Babylon?

Introduction

At first glance, Donald Trump, the current President of the United States, and Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, belong to two completely different eras and worlds. However, their names have been significantly linked in discussions about religious freedom and support for the Jewish people. Cyrus the Great is known in historical and religious sources as a ruler who valued religious freedom. He issued a decree that freed the Jews enslaved in Babylon, allowing them to return to their homeland and rebuild their sacred temple. Conversely, Donald Trump, with his controversial decisions such as recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the American embassy to that city, was praised by groups of Jews and supporters of Israel, who hailed him as the “Cyrus of his time.” This article examines the similarities and differences in the personalities and behaviors of these two figures in their dealings with minorities—especially Jews—and compares their actions in the realm of religious freedom. It also shows how the views of Cyrus and Trump on the freedom of religions and ethnicities contrast with the repressive policies of the Islamic Republic, and what reactions this comparison has provoked among Jewish communities, exiled Iranians, and supporters of Israel. In conclusion, we will determine the ideological significance of this comparison for opponents of the Islamic Republic and proponents of religious coexistence.

Similarities and Differences in Behavior Towards Minorities

In terms of personality and behavior, both Cyrus the Great and Donald Trump adopted approaches that attracted the attention of the Jewish minority. According to historical documents and the Bible, Cyrus the Great was a just and wise king who showed tolerance towards various ethnicities and religions. His empire was a collection of diverse nations and faiths, and his well-known policy was to respect the religious beliefs of the people under his rule. This tolerance was such that he declared in his famous Cyrus Cylinder and his royal decrees that the gods and temples of the conquered peoples would be respected, and people would be free to practice their own religions. Donald Trump, while known for his controversial statements about some minorities (including immigrants and Muslims) in American domestic politics, adopted a completely supportive stance towards the Jewish community and especially the state of Israel. Trump was the first American president to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the American embassy to that city—an action that many Jews considered the fulfillment of one of America’s historical promises to Israel. Additionally, Trump, with a Jewish son-in-law and Jewish grandchildren (due to his daughter Ivanka Trump’s marriage to Jared Kushner) and the presence of several Jewish advisors and ministers in his cabinet, established close relations with the American Jewish community. These personal relationships and political decisions created an image of Trump that, for many Israelis and their supporters, was reminiscent of ancient pro-Jewish kings like Cyrus.

Despite these similarities in supporting Jews, there are significant differences in the character of these two leaders. Cyrus is known in historical accounts for his tolerance towards all ethnicities and religions, and as the founder of one of the first multicultural empires, he is considered a symbol of religious tolerance. In contrast, Trump has a dual image: on one hand, he was outspoken in his support for the religious rights of Evangelical Christians and Zionist Jews, and presented himself as a defender of religious freedom, but on the other hand, he has been accused of having extreme nationalist tendencies and sometimes making derogatory remarks towards immigrants and Muslims. Even at the time of the comparison of Trump to Cyrus, some users and critics on social networks considered this comparison inappropriate, arguing that Cyrus the Great is known for his religious and ethnic tolerance, whereas Trump is known for his racist tendencies. Therefore, although both leaders at one point appeared as supporters of the Jewish people, the scope and extent of their tolerance and behavior towards other minorities have been different. In other words, the similarity between Trump and Cyrus is less due to a similar personal disposition and more due to some of their specific actions towards Jews—actions that are described below.

Cyrus the Great’s Actions Towards the Jews

Cyrus the Great (600–530 BCE) holds a unique place in Jewish history. After conquering Babylon in 539 BCE, he ended the Babylonian policy of forced exile and issued the famous decree of the liberation of captives. According to the accounts in Jewish historical books, Cyrus in the first year of his reign, inspired by God, issued a decree that allowed all Jews who were captive in Babylon to return to the land of Judea and rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem. The Book of Ezra in the Old Testament mentions the text of this decree and writes that Cyrus not only permitted their return but also returned the vessels and treasures of the Temple of Jerusalem that had been looted by the Babylonians, and provided a budget for the reconstruction of the temple. Thus, with the direct support of Cyrus, the rebuilding of Solomon’s Temple began, and the foundations of a new era in Jewish history, namely the Second Temple period, were laid. This event was so important to the Jews that the name of Cyrus is mentioned with respect many times in the Hebrew Bible, and he is referred to as “the Lord’s Messiah.” In fact, Cyrus is the only non-Jewish figure in history who has been given the title of “Messiah” or savior in Jewish religious texts, because he freed the people of Israel from captivity and paved the way for their return to the promised land.

Cyrus’s policy towards the Jews can be seen within the framework of his broader view of religious freedom in the Achaemenid Empire. Historical evidence (including the text of the Cyrus Cylinder) shows that after the conquest of each land, he respected the native gods and religions and even in some cases helped to rebuild the temples of the conquered peoples. Cyrus’s tolerant approach displayed an early model of religious coexistence and non-discrimination that was unprecedented in ancient times. The result of this policy for Cyrus was gaining legitimacy and popularity among various ethnicities, to the point that the Jews considered him God’s envoy for their salvation, and cherished his good memory for generations. The respect for Cyrus in Jewish historical memory is so enduring that even after 25 centuries, his name is evident in the culture and geography of today’s Israel (for example, there is a street named Cyrus in the city of Jerusalem, and stamps bearing his image have been issued). In short, Cyrus the Great, due to liberating an oppressed minority and guaranteeing their religious freedom, has become a shining symbol of tolerance and justice in both Iranian and Jewish history.

Donald Trump’s Actions in Support of Israel and the Jews

During his presidency (2017–2021), Donald Trump took a series of actions and decisions that were directly interpreted as being in the interest of the Jewish community and the state of Israel, and were described by supporters as historic. The most important of these actions was the official recognition of the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In December 2017, Trump announced that he was abandoning decades of American policy and considered Jerusalem the legitimate capital of Israel. In May 2018, he moved the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This move symbolically coincided with the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel and sparked joy among many Israelis and Jews. Israeli officials considered this decision a historic turning point; according to Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, “The Jewish nation remembers the decree of Cyrus the Great 2,500 years ago, which allowed the Jews to return to their land and build the Second Temple… This decision of Trump (declaring Jerusalem as the capital) will also remain in the memory of the Jewish nation forever.” Such a comparison by a high-ranking Israeli official showed that the Israeli government itself places Trump on par with Cyrus—the ancient savior of the Jews.

Another prominent action by Trump was his unprecedented support for Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. In March 2019, he recognized Israel’s sovereignty over this strategic region (which has been occupied by Israel since 1967). In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called this action a sign of the deep friendship between the United States and Israel. In addition, the Trump administration, with its policy of “maximum pressure” on the Islamic Republic of Iran—which is considered Israel’s greatest enemy—effectively took steps to ensure Israel’s security. The withdrawal of the United States from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2018 and the imposition of heavy sanctions against Tehran were, from the perspective of the Israeli government and its supporters, an alignment of the Trump administration with Israel’s interests.

Trump also established close relations with Jewish communities and supporters of Jews within the United States. He delivered passionate speeches in support of Israel at the annual AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) conferences and presented himself as a steadfast supporter of Israel’s security. Domestically, Trump issued directives to combat anti-Semitism (including the executive order of December 2019 to combat anti-Semitism in universities). Although some critics criticized him for his anti-immigration stances and failure to strongly condemn white supremacist groups (such as the Charlottesville incident), the popularity of Trump among a significant portion of the Orthodox Jewish and Christian Zionist community was undeniable. Trump’s support for Israel was such that Netanyahu called him one of the best friends in Israel’s history, and public appreciation for him reached its peak. A new settlement named “Trump Heights” was established and named in Israel, and images of Trump alongside the Israeli flag were displayed on the streets of Jerusalem. Even an educational-religious organization in Jerusalem, as a sign of gratitude, minted a commemorative coin known as the “Temple Coin,” which depicted the images of Trump and Cyrus the Great side by side. The coin bore phrases from the Bible that recalled Cyrus’s mission to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem, implicitly considering Trump as the continuer of that divine mission.

has appointed me to build him a house in Jerusalem,” a phrase that, according to the Book of Ezra, Cyrus used in his decree to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem. This symbolic initiative by a Jewish educational center indicates that some consider Trump the initiator of a new “prophetic process” reminiscent of Cyrus’s actions 25 centuries ago.]

With these details, it is clear that, from the perspective of his supporters, Trump was able to take historic and symbolic steps in favor of the Jewish people that no American president before him had taken. These actions, both in the realm of diplomacy (transferring the embassy and recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan) and in strengthening relations with the Jewish community, were all evaluated in the same direction as Cyrus’s actions in support of the Jews. Although Trump’s dimensions and motives differ greatly from those of Cyrus, in the collective memory of the Jews, these two are now placed in the same line: one, an ancient savior who built the temple, and the other, a contemporary leader who, after thousands of years, recognized Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem.

Religious Freedom Versus the Policies of the Islamic Republic

The views of Cyrus the Great and Donald Trump on the issue of religious freedom and the coexistence of ethnicities are fundamentally different from the ideological approach of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Cyrus, as mentioned, was the founder of a tradition of religious tolerance in which followers of different religions in his imperial territory enjoyed their rights and were free to practice their rituals. His historic action in returning the Jews to their land can be considered the first recorded example of ending the religious captivity of a people. This inclusive view of Cyrus on the freedom of religions has inspired many modern thinkers, and even his Charter of Human Rights is referred to as one of the earliest documents of universal human rights. Trump, at least in his political discourse, also emphasized religious freedom. In international forums, he repeatedly condemned religiously repressive governments—especially the Islamic Republic of Iran—and presented himself as a supporter of freedom of belief. For example, the Trump administration held international conferences on “advancing religious freedom” with the participation of dozens of countries and increased pressure on governments that suppress religious minorities (including Iran). Of course, as mentioned, Trump’s record on the issues of immigrants and Muslims has created ambiguity in this image; however, the general message conveyed by Trump’s supporters was his defense of the right to religious freedom and confronting religious fundamentalism in the Middle East.

In contrast, the Islamic Republic of Iran, since its establishment in 1979, has been known for implementing policies that many consider a clear violation of religious freedoms and the rights of minorities. The constitution of the Islamic Republic recognizes only Shia Islam (Twelver) as the official religion, and although it names other religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism as “official minorities,” the followers of these official religions also face many restrictions. For example, Baha’i citizens, who are the largest non-official religious minority in Iran, are essentially deprived of citizenship rights and have been constantly subjected to harassment, arrest, and confiscation of property over the past four decades (human rights organizations have described this repression as a “continuous crime against humanity”). Christian converts, Sunnis, Dervishes, and other religious groups have also faced varying degrees of discrimination or systematic repression. This is while in ancient times when Cyrus ruled, not only did Jews in ancient Iran enjoy freedom and support, but their temples and religious rituals were also respected by the Achaemenid government.

In addition to the issue of the freedom of religious minorities within the country, the ideological approach of the Islamic Republic towards the Jewish people and the state of Israel is in complete contradiction with the approach of Cyrus and even Trump. The leaders of the Islamic Republic have always considered the existence of Israel illegitimate and have raised hostility towards “Zionism” as one of the pillars of their political discourse. Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly called Israel a “cancerous tumor” that must be eradicated from the face of the earth. For example, in his Quds Day speech in 2020, he said: “The Zionist regime is a deadly and harmful cancerous tumor for this region that will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed.” This threatening tone and ideology of the destruction of Israel is in direct contrast to the behavior of Cyrus the Great, who recognized the political and religious existence of the Jews and even introduced himself as a supporter of the reconstruction of their religious center (the Temple of Jerusalem). Also, in the face of the efforts of the Trump administration to normalize relations between Arabs and Israel (such as the “Abraham Accords” that were established between Israel and several Arab countries with American support), the Islamic Republic has pursued a path of confrontation and incitement and has tried to form a united front of Muslim countries against Israel. In other words, if Trump and his allies were pursuing a plan of peaceful coexistence of religions and nations, the Islamic Republic has followed a policy of religious division and ideological hostility.

The repressive approach of the Islamic Republic is also evident towards the ancient history of Iran and the legacy of Cyrus the Great. Many observers believe that the Iranian government is afraid of the revival of the name and memory of Cyrus among the people, because Cyrus is a symbol of pre-Islamic Iran and values that are different from the ideology of the Islamic Republic. In recent years, the spontaneous gathering of people at the tomb of Cyrus (Pasargad) on November 7 (known as Cyrus Day) has faced a harsh security response. Reports indicate that in 2017, to prevent people from gathering in Pasargad, security forces blocked the roads leading to the tomb of Cyrus and even banned the presence of non-natives in the area. Cultural heritage officials also announced that the Pasargad complex would be closed on that date to prevent “abuse by counter-revolutionary groups.” This action shows that the Iranian government is concerned about any nationalist tendencies that highlight Cyrus in opposition to the dominant Islamic ideology. Thus, the Islamic Republic is positioned as a government that, both in practice (regarding religious freedom) and in symbols (suppressing the commemoration of Cyrus), is in contradiction with the legacy of Cyrus the Great and even the actions of Trump (who praised that legacy). For this reason, for many opponents of the Islamic Republic, recalling the similarities between Cyrus and Trump is a kind of ideological stance against the current government of Iran.

Reactions to the Comparison of Cyrus the Great and Trump

The comparison of Donald Trump to Cyrus the Great in recent years has had widespread repercussions in political, religious, and media circles. In the Jewish community and Israel, this comparison has been largely welcomed and praised. As mentioned earlier, the Israeli ambassador to the United States described Trump as being on par with Cyrus the Great and considered the importance of Trump’s decision on Jerusalem to be equal to Cyrus’s historical decree. In addition, Yair Netanyahu, the son of the Israeli Prime Minister—who is a well-known figure in the Israeli media space—more explicitly called Trump the “Cyrus of our time.” In an interview in 2019, he said: “President Trump is the best friend Israel and the Jewish people have ever had in the White House. He will be remembered in Jewish history for moving the embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan. The Jewish people still remember Cyrus the Great, the king of Persia, who returned Jerusalem to them 2,500 years ago.” These explicit statements show the depth of appreciation of a part of Israeli society for Trump; they unreservedly place him on par with Cyrus—the ancient savior—and believe that Trump’s name will also be immortalized in the historical memory of the Jews. In addition to official figures, religious groups and pro-Israel media in America also reinforced this comparison. Some leaders of Evangelical Christians in America (who were among Trump’s main bases of support) considered him to have risen from divine will to support Israel and recalled the story of Cyrus in their sermons to justify their support for Trump. Media outlets such as Fox News addressed the idea that “Trump may have a divine mission to save the Jews” and considered his presidency to be the time of the fulfillment of biblical prophecies about Jerusalem. Even in Israeli popular culture, Trump’s name entered commemorative coins and medals, and his image alongside Cyrus adorned symbolic items.

On the other hand, the reaction of Iranians opposed to the Islamic Republic in exile to this comparison has been a combination of welcome and political exploitation. Many nationalist and secular Iranians who oppose the religious government of Iran consider Cyrus the Great a symbol of secular and civilized Iran and use every opportunity to commemorate his name. For this group of Iranians, Trump, due to his strong opposition to the regime of the Islamic Republic and also the closeness of his positions to Israel, was considered a popular figure. During Trump’s presidency, a group of exiled Iranians openly declared their support for his policies against the Islamic Republic. The comparison of Trump to Cyrus for this group is, on one hand, a national honor (because Cyrus is the heir to Iranian history) and, on the other hand, a political tool to emphasize the contradiction between their ideal Iran and the Iran under the rule of the Islamic Republic. For example, in 2017, Reza Pahlavi (the former Crown Prince of Iran) proposed a plan called the “Cyrus Covenant” in a letter to Donald Trump and asked Trump to pursue a new peace initiative that, following the “Abraham Accords,” could unite Israel, Arab countries, and a free Iran (after the Islamic Republic). The “Cyrus Accords” plan, which Reza Pahlavi proposed, explicitly uses the name of Cyrus to both recall the long-standing friendship between Iranians and Jews and to outline a vision of religious and ethnic coexistence in the Middle East without the presence of the Islamic Republic. Such an initiative shows that for opponents of the Islamic Republic, the comparison of Trump to Cyrus can be an ideological support for coalition-building and alignment with Israel and the free world against the Iranian regime.

Of course, not all reactions to this comparison have been positive or laudatory. In the domestic sphere of Iran—specifically in the media and social networks—some jokingly or critically questioned the comparison of Trump to Cyrus. Some pointed out that Trump has not done anything for Iranians (as a nation) but has rather put pressure on ordinary Iranians with economic sanctions, while Cyrus tried to liberate a part of ancient Iranians (the Jews). Some analysts critical of the government also argued that Israel and its supporters are seeking to arouse nationalistic sentiments of Iranians against the Islamic Republic with this comparison. For example, a news website close to conservatives in Iran wrote with a sarcastic tone: “The Jews have claimed that Cyrus the Great was a Zionist and have asked Iranians to follow this great Zionist!” These kinds of reactions in fact reflect the concern of the supporters of the Islamic Republic about the influence of this discourse. The Iranian regime is trying to portray Cyrus as its own and prevent opponents from making him a symbol against the ideology of the Islamic Republic. For this reason, state-affiliated media sometimes try to imply that the West and Israel want to politically exploit the legacy of Cyrus to push the Iranian people towards compromise with the enemies (Israel and America). However, the reality is that a large segment of the Iranian people—especially the secular and nationalist strata—have a positive view of this comparison and see it as aligned with Iran’s historical values (tolerance and moderation) and Iran’s future interests.

Conclusion

The comparison of Donald Trump to Cyrus the Great, beyond a simple historical analogy, has become an ideological symbol in the conflict of discourses surrounding contemporary Iran. On one side is the Islamic Republic, which is founded on an exclusivist and anti-Western religious ideology and has a record of suppressing religious minorities and irreconcilable hostility towards Israel. On the other side, Cyrus, as the ancient king of Iran, is a reminder of an era of glory and tolerance, and Trump, as the former president of the United States, is considered the representative of maximum pressure on the Iranian regime and friendship with that regime’s main enemy (Israel). For opponents of the Islamic Republic—including exiled Iranians, human rights activists, and supporters of secularism—linking the name of Trump with Cyrus has provided an opportunity to show that the ways of the Islamic Republic are alien to the spirit of historical Iran. By highlighting the commonalities between Cyrus and Trump (support for religious freedom and Jews), they are in fact emphasizing that the values respected by Iranians (from ancient times to the present) are on the side of freedom of belief and peaceful coexistence, not on the side of fanaticism and repression. This comparison is also inspiring for proponents of religious coexistence, because it reminds us that a non-Jewish leader in the sixth century BCE and a non-Jewish leader in the twenty-first century both took courageous actions in favor of the freedom and rights of the Jewish people. Thus, the implicit message is that defending religious freedom and the rights of minorities is a universal value that knows no boundaries of time and place.

From the perspective of ideological significance, the comparison of Trump to Cyrus has now become one of the slogans of opposition to the Islamic Republic. This comparison carries the idea that the Iran after the Islamic Republic can and should return to the tradition of Cyrus—a tradition in which all religions and ethnicities (including Jews) live in peace and mutual respect—and in this path, any cooperation with leaders and governments that pursue similar values (even if controversial like Trump) is justified. Moreover, for the Western world and Israel, this comparison has been beneficial: they have been able to convey their message of friendship to the Iranian people by drawing upon a national-historical symbol of Iran (Cyrus) and show that their opposition to the Islamic Republic does not mean enmity with the Iranian nation and its history. As we saw, the proposal of the “Cyrus Covenant” for regional peace and the minting of the Cyrus-Trump commemorative coin are both attempts to strengthen the historical and value-based commonalities among nations.

In the final analysis, it must be acknowledged that, as some critics have pointed out, Trump and Cyrus are not identical, and a complete comparison of them would constitute historical simplification. However, the importance of this comparison lies in its political and ideological function, not necessarily in the complete correspondence of the two figures’ personalities. This comparison has enabled opponents of the Islamic Republic to express their narrative of Iranian history and identity; a narrative in which Iran is defined not based on the narrow-minded religious ideology of the current rulers, but based on the tolerant legacy of Cyrus the Great. From this perspective, Donald Trump has appeared in the role of an unexpected ally who, with his actions, strengthened that narrative and challenged the common enemy. Thus, for supporters of religious coexistence and opponents of the Islamic Republic, the mention of Trump alongside Cyrus, more than a political exaggeration, is a symbolic expression of their common ideal: the ideal of a world in which religious freedom is respected, minorities are not oppressed, and friendship between nations replaces ideological enmities. Such an ideal undoubtedly has a strong ideological charge that can help synergize the forces opposing tyranny and extremism and inspire a new chapter of peaceful coexistence.

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