“Today, the balance of power in Palestine and region is in favor of resistance, which can get the Palestinian nation closer to its final step than any time before,” Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in a Thursday message on the eve of this year’s International Quds Day.
Qalibaf said he deeply believes that resistance and unity among Palestinian groups are the Palestinians’ only way to fight the “child-killing” regime of Israel.
“We are all duty-bound to aid the Palestinian nation in this holy jihad (struggle),” he noted.
He further stated that any move that deflects the Muslim world away from its main priority, which is supporting Palestine and liberation of Holy Quds, will undoubtedly serve the interests of the Israeli regime and other enemies of the Muslim world.
The parliament speaker pointed to Iran’s proposal on holding a referendum in order to resolve the Palestinian issue, which was registered with the UN, saying, “The plan to hold a referendum among Palestinians of all religions and ethnicities is a solution to overcome the challenges of today and tomorrow in Palestine.”
The Iranian parliament speaker dismissed false reports about Iran's plan for Palestine is anti-Semitic, saying that in this plan, all Palestinians, whether Jews, Christians or Muslims, would take part to decide their fate.
“What definitely has no place in the future of the region is the illegitimate Zionist regime,” Qalibaf asserted.
Qalibaf also called on Islamic governments and parliaments to take firm legal actions against the atrocities committed by the Zionist regime against Palestinians in the occupied territories.
“The parliaments of Islamic countries are expected to obligate their respective governments to establish an international probe committee to bring the Zionist regime’s war criminals to trial in official tribunals,” he added.
With only one day to International Quds Day, top officials and prominent figures in Iran and elsewhere have been renewing their pledge to support the Palestinian cause.
Quds Day was initiated by the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran Imam Khomeini soon after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979.
'Islamic countries need unity to confront Zionist regime'
The Iranian president’s chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi said that naming the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as International Quds Day by Imam Khomeini was a move in support of the demands of Muslims around the world.
“The nature of the Zionist regime has not changed and it is in contrast not only with the Palestinians but also with Muslims across the world,” Vaezi said in a message on Thursday, adding, “In order to stand against the Zionists and their supporters, Islamic countries need unity and solidarity more than ever.”