TEHRAN - – Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has declared that Palestine serves as a measure of Western hypocrisy, exposing the contradiction between the West’s proclaimed values and its actions.

Speaking at the Quds Day ceremony at the University of Tehran, He described Palestine as the awakened conscience of the global community standing against an oppressive system that has sustained itself through repression, injustice, and the subjugation of Islamic nations.

Addressing the crowd on Friday (coinciding with the last Friday of Ramadan), Qalibaf expressed gratitude for the presence of Iranians and Muslims worldwide in the annual Quds Day demonstrations, a tradition established by Imam Khomeini in support of the Palestinian cause.

Qalibaf condemned the decades-long suffering of Palestinians, calling it not only a tragedy for Muslims but for all humanity.

The parliament speaker pointed to the October 7, 2023, Al-Aqsa Storm operation as a pivotal moment in the 77-year history of oppression against Palestinians. Calling it a “just and legitimate response” to decades of Israeli, American, and British-backed crimes, he argued that Israel would not have lasted even a week without U.S. support, branding it a hollow entity propped up by foreign powers.

“The reality is that the Zionist regime is merely a killing machine serving the imperialist system and the criminal U.S. government,” Qalibaf said, highlighting America’s military, intelligence, and political backing of Israel. He also emphasized Britain’s historical role, stating that the UK played a “parental” role in Israel’s creation and continues to push its original colonial agenda.

“Israel was supposed to secure U.S. interests in the region, but today, it has become a burden,” he said, citing the reverse migration of settlers and increasing security threats in occupied Palestine as evidence of Israel’s decline.

The Speaker praised the steadfastness of Palestinian and regional Resistance forces, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, which he said successfully repelled Israeli advances despite heavy U.S. backing. He also credited Resistance fighters for launching attacks on Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, proving that Israel is no longer the secure fortress it once claimed to be.