Iran: Only Palestinians Should Decide for Palestine

“For seven decades the international community failed to solve the question of Palestine since the plans proposed never corresponded with its historical facts and roots. Iran believes that only Palestinians whether Muslim, Christian or Jew with a national referendum can and should decide for Palestine,” the Foreign Ministry said in a tweet late on Tuesday.

Every year, millions of Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide to underscore the plight of Palestinians, heeding a call by the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, who designated the last Friday of every Ramadan as the International Quds Day.

This year’s Quds Day, however, will see no such street marches amid the coronavirus pandemic. The occasion is instead set to be commemorated mainly via online events.

The occasion underlines the Palestinians’ right to return to their homeland after decades of displacement by Israel, which began alleging existence in 1948 after overrunning their lands during a Western-backed war. Still using Western patronage, the regime occupied more Palestinian and other territories in 1967 during a second war, and has ever since been propping up illegal settlements across the usurped areas.