TEHRAN – The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that “elimination of Israel does not mean the elimination of the Jewish people,” rather it means that all Palestinians, including Jews, Christians and Muslims, drive some thugs like Benyamin Netanyahu out of their homeland.

“Elimination of Israel is meant the entire Christian, Muslim and Jewish Palestinians decide their own fate and expel some thugs including (Benyamin) Netanyahu out (of their motherland),” Ayatollah Khamenei told an international Islamic unity conference in Tehran.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution has previously suggested a referendum in the occupied territories to end more than 70 years of conflict in the Palestinian lands.

“We provide support for the Palestinian people. We are not anti-Semitic. Jews are living in our country (Iran) under the highest level of safety,” the Leader emphasized. 

“Unity enjoys some stages. The lowest level of unity among different tribes and religions can be refusing to attack each other. The upper stage of unity is being united against a common enemy,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.Addressing the participants attended by the president, parliament speaker and Judiciary chief, ambassadors of Islamic nations, and Sunni and Shia scholars, the Leader said, “In the late Imam Khomeini’s speeches and also other speeches by the senior Iranian officials, elimination of the Israeli government has repeatedly been mentioned. However, this is not meant elimination of Jewish people. We have nothing to do with them. It means elimination of the imposed regime and government.” 

He added, “Elimination of the Zionist regime is meant that the Palestinians who are the real owner of that land embark on electing their own government and expelling some thugs including Netanyahu.”

“It will certainly happen. For instance, Balkan states managed to receive independence after 60 years and the nations (who had been forced to leave their land) returned to their countries,” Ayatollah Khamenei promised.  

Touching upon the importance of unity among Muslims, the Leader said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran believes in the necessity of uniting the Islamic Ummah.”

“Unity enjoys some stages. The lowest level of unity among different tribes and religions can be refusing to attack each other. The upper stage of unity is being united against a common enemy,” Ayatollah Khamenei added. 

The Leader further said, “If Islamic countries had managed to resort to (even) the lowest level of unity, there would not have been this huge amount of tragedies in the Islamic world. Palestinian issue in now the greatest disaster in the Islamic world.”   

The International Islamic unity conference kicked off in Tehran on Thursday. President Hassan Rouhani delivered the opening speech. He emphasized the need to unify the Islamic world.

The conference, held annually, marks the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). 350 personalities from 93 countries in attendance.
 

MJ/PA