Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called on Palestinians to continue their “legitimate and ethical” resistance until the occupying Zionist regime is forced to agree to the demand for a referendum.
He described public vote as a “progressive and inviolable” demand based on the conventional principles of democracy, stressing the need to pursue this objective.
According to the Leader, based on this logical demand, which has been registered as a United Nations document by Iran, Palestinian fighters can hold a referendum with the participation of all original inhabitants of Palestine, from any ethnicity or religion, including the displaced people, and the result would determine this country’s political system of governance, Leader.ir reported.
“That political system will repatriate the displaced people into their country and decide the fate of foreigners who have settled there,” he said in a televised speech on the occasion of the International Quds Day.
“Quds Day is an annual event in which demonstrators express solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemn the occupation of Palestinian territories by the Israeli regime,” he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the Palestinian cause as the most important and dynamic issue of the Muslim world, saying Israel is not a country, but a terrorist base against the Palestinian people and other Muslim nations.
“Therefore, fighting [this regime] is a battle against oppression and terrorism, and is a collective duty,” he said.
Better Future
The Leader said weakness and separation in the Islamic community paved the way for Palestine’s occupation, but added that the international conditions and balance of power are in favor of the Muslim world today.
“The weakening of the western bloc, which supported Israel, and the promising increase in the Muslim nations’ capabilities bode well for a better future,” he added.
The Leader urged closer cooperation among Muslim countries regarding the issue of Palestine and the fate of Beit-ul-Moqaddas, saying such a collaboration is a “nightmare” for the Zionists and their American and European supporters.
The fruitless “deal of the century”, a highly unjust peace plan proposed by former US president, Donald Trump, and normalization of certain weak Arab states with the occupying regime are among desperate attempts to escape that nightmare, according to Ayatollah Khamenei.
“I firmly say these attempts will get nowhere and the descending movement of the Zionist regime’s downfall has started and will not stop,” he said.
The Leader stressed that continued resistance inside occupied lands and reinforcement of the resistance movement, along with the international support of Muslim states and nations for Palestinian fighters will determine the future and thwart the enemies’ plots.
In a separate statement on Thursday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Tehran’s resolve to keep up the policy of supporting the Palestinian people’s struggles against the occupying Israeli regime, saying Muslim nations are duty-bound to pressure world powers and international institutions to bring about an end to Tel Aviv’s occupation and acts of aggression.
Iran “believes that the establishment of sustainable peace and tranquility in Palestine will not come about, except through the settlement of fundamental issues of the Palestinian crisis, including the end of occupation, return of refugees, determination of Palestine’s next system [of governance] based on a referendum in which all its original inhabitants participate and finally the formation of an united Palestinian government with holy Quds as [the Palestinian state’s] capital,” the ministry said.
