Ayatollah Khamenei: Gaza is ‘still Islamic world’s number one issue’

Ayatollah Khamenei’s statement that Gaza is “still” the “Islamic world’s number one issue” should be well understood by now. Israel was attacked by its Arab neighbors in 1948, while Iran, via its proxies — which include Hamas, Hizballah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Houthis — actively seeks to obliterate the Jewish State.

The Palestinian “resistance,” which is heavily funded by the world’s most prominent Shia regime, Iran, is rooted in Islamic expansionism and historic Islamic antisemitism. Recall also that in 2021, during Operation Guardian of the Walls, it was Sunni Saudi Arabia that summoned the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to an emergency summit in support of the Palestinians. In the meeting, the OIC went to the United Nations to seek General Assembly support “to protect the Palestinian people.”

Saudi Arabia also hosted a top senior Hamas delegation, and came out on October 7 with Muslim Brotherhood supporting Qatar to blame Israel for Hamas’ savage attack.

In April 2023, the late Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian emphasized the unity of the “Muslim ummah,” and openly expressed to his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi that Israel was the biggest threat to the ummah. He emphasized the “necessity for the existence of unity across the Muslim world in the face of the occupying regime, the need to cut the regime’s hands off the al-Aqsa Mosque’s compound in the holy occupied city of al-Quds’ Old City — which is Islam’s third holiest site —  and the importance of complete restoration of Palestinians’ rights.”

And at an OIC summit in Gambia in May, Iran was present. Less than two weeks prior to October 7, the Secretary General of the OIC, Hissein Brahim Taha, emphasized the need for unity among Muslim nations, stressing the importance of Iran’s place in “Muslim unity” in dealing with “common threats,” as he referenced “the Zionist regime.”

“Ayatollah Khamenei: ‘Gaza still Islamic world’s number one issue,’” Tehran Times, July 21, 2024:

During the meeting, which was held in the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on July 21, 2024, the Leader elucidated key points regarding the duties of the Parliament in the field of legislation and its dos and don’ts, while stressing the importance of effective interaction with the government. He also highlighted the necessity of a unified voice from the country’s pillars and underscored the active presence and significant role of the parliament in Iran’s foreign affairs and foreign policy.

Pointing to the Parliament’s significant capacities in the field of international affairs, Ayatollah Khamenei stated, “The parliament is a powerful leverage that world governments use in their interactions.” He considered the issue of Gaza as one of the examples of the Parliament’s activities in the field of foreign affairs and emphasized the importance of working in this area. “Gaza is still the Islamic world’s number one issue. It is true that as the months have passed [since the 2023 Gaza war], the initial enthusiasm has waned in many people, But the fact of the matter is that it‘s just as important today as it was in the beginning, if not more,” he said.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the utilization of parliamentary support by governments as a common practice around the world, adding: “An example is the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (CISADA), which was passed by the US Congress and signed by the then-Democratic president, who was a hypocrite.”

Ayatollah Khamenei addressed the issue of sanctions and the role of the Parliament in neutralizing them. “We have the ability to lift sanctions through honorable means and even surpass that by neutralizing them. Neutralizing these sanctions is in our hands and there are proper ways to do this. The Parliament can also play a role in this regard.”…