TEHRAN – Talking in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Hassan Rouhani invited the people to take part massively in Quds Day rallies, which fall on Friday.

International Quds Day was initiated by the founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 to express solidarity with Palestinians and oppose the Zionist regime.

Rallies are held each year in various cities around the world by both Muslims and non-Muslim communities. Many Jewish people also attend the rallies in order to draw a line between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.

“The Iranian people will voice support for oppressed ones in history through participating in the Quds Day rallies and will announce that they will stand against oppressors until victory is achieved,” Rouhani stated.

He noted, “The Iranian nation has always helped other nations, and we have helped the oppressed in Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen.”

Detailing the plight of the Palestinians, Rouhani said the Israeli occupation had robbed back-to-back Palestinian generations of their safety and freedom.
“As their brothers, other Muslims cannot remain silent in the face of the displacement of a great nation in such manner,” the president remarked
 
Rouhani added, “The oppressed people of Yemen and Palestine are resistant and not afraid of aggressors. They will force enemies to retreat with their resistance and power.”

‘Palestine using rockets not rocks to counter Israel’

Rouhani also hailed the Palestinian nation’s defense achievements over the past years, saying resistance fighters are today responding to the Israeli regime’s missiles with "missiles rather than stones."

He added, “There was a time when the Palestinians used to defend themselves only with rocks and stones, but today, they have worked hard and developed a tool to give crushing responses to Israelis.”

Today, missiles are answered with missiles.”

‘Failure of the century’

Rouhani also criticized the secretive and controversial U.S.-devised deal for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Washington has kept the plan, which President Donald Trump has hailed as “the deal of century,” under wraps. Leaked information, however, indicate that it features serious violations of the Palestinian’s age-old demands.
Rouhani lambasted the plan as “the failure of the century,” warning, “Today, a plot is in the works against not only Palestine but the entire region.”

NA/PA