Neman, who lives in New York with his family, rose to online fame with his tagline “recipes you'll wanna cook,” gaining over one million followers thanks to visually refined Middle Eastern and family-inspired dishes. He often references his Iranian roots and occasionally his Jewish heritage but avoids political commentary.
His silence became harder to maintain in recent days. After the war began, Neman posted a recipe for tomato-egg stew, only to be met with hundreds of comments asking why he hadn’t addressed the conflict. “Why aren't you saying anything about the war? You have Iranian roots,” wrote one user. Another asked, “Do you care only about Iranian food, not what’s happening in Iran?”
Caught between two identities, Neman eventually shared an Instagram Story in which he expressed support for both the Iranian people and Israel, affirming his belief in freedom and human rights—values he said are not upheld by the current Iranian regime. He also mentioned his Jewish identity and support for Israel.
The post triggered a wave of backlash, especially from pro-Iranian followers who viewed it as a betrayal. Some accused him of “siding with the enemy,” while others criticized the fact that his message was shared in a Story that disappears after 24 hours, rather than a permanent post.
In a January interview with Tablet Magazine, Neman acknowledged the tightrope he walks. “I am definitely not hiding anything but I probably have been more cautious,” he said.
“I want to focus on my love for food and lead by example as a ‘good person,’” he continued. “Whenever it is appropriate, I’ll show that I’m Jewish and be an ally to my fellow Jews online because I do want to speak my truth and my followers should know where I stand on certain topics,” he said. “But, at the same time, I don’t want to make it the [focus] because it kind of takes away from it all.”
Despite trying to keep politics out of his work, Neman said he still receives hateful private messages. “I get nasty DMs but I never answer them because I kind of get the feeling that this person who is messaging me is not going to listen to anything I say, even if I pour my heart out to them. So, 98% of the time I won’t respond to hate comments unless I can use them as a learning moment.”
Neman declined a Ynet request for comment and did not respond to criticism of his war-related Instagram post.
