Millions of protesters marched through the streets of Tehran over the weekend to mark al-Quds day, calling for Israel’s annihilation. Iran’s leadership, including President Hassan Rouhani, Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, as well as military commanders, were among the demonstrators, whom burned Israeli and American flags while chanting “death to Israel” and “death to America.” The Iranian top defense official declared during the march that the annihilation of Israel should be done by the Palestinians, while the rest of the Islamic world should provide the Palestinians with the tools to bring about their aspired demise of the Jewish state.
“Israeli annihilation, god willing, should be done by Palestinians. The rest of the Islamic world should impose mental and political pressure and support resistance movements so that god willing they (Palestinians) will succeed,” said Hossein Dehghan, Iranian Defense Minister.
One of the Iranian demonstrators said that wiping Israel off the map of the earth should become a joint effort of all Muslims worldwide. “Solidarity of all Muslims who account for two billion of the world’s population can easily wipe Israel off the map,” said an Iranian Demonstrator in Tehran.
During the day long demonstrations, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard show cased on the streets of Tehran, several of its sophisticated ballistic missiles; While in the center of the Iranian capital, a digital clock was erected, which started a countdown of 25 years, which the Islamic Republic predicts Israel would be annihilated.
In response to the rhetoric voiced in Tehran with regard to Israel’s destruction, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in remarks he made at an annual event of young Jews visiting Israel from around the world, the Israeli leader declared that the Jewish state will remain long after the Iranian Ayatollah regime would vanquish.
“You know maybe maybe the Iranians should study Jewish history because last week in Tehran they put up a digital clock counting down to Israel’s destruction well we were here in this land for thousands of years before the ayatollahs took the people of Iran hostage and will be here long after their theocratic tyranny is just a footnote of history,” said Netanyahu.
The anti-Israel demonstrations spread to other countries around the world, including in Germany, where several hundreds of people in Berlin called for Israel’s destruction. In Berlin, however, counter-protesters were held with signs and slogans declaring Israel’s right to exist, while condemning the Islamic Republic’s violations of international law and the spread of anti-Semitism. “I am demonstrating firstly for the preservation of the state of Israel, and secondly, I am protesting against the spread of anti-Semitism,” said Joachim Glauer, Pro-Israel Demonstrator.