Homayoun Sameyah, the head of the Tehran Jewish Committee and a member of the Iranian parliament, attacked Israel in an interview with Turkey's Anadolu news agency over the weekend, accusing it of war crimes and targeting the al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
"Israel is disrespecting the al-Aqsa mosque and is murdering innocent Palestinians," Sameyah railed. "Any authentic faithful Jew, who believes in the Torah, should condemn the brutal attacks on Palestinians," he continued.
He added that the "Israeli attacks exacerbate tensions between Muslim Arabs and Jews" and lambasted Jews who support Israel.
"I call on Jews not to support the State of Israel. Although you cannot argue with the fact that some Jews around the world support Israel, any Jew imbued with faith and doesn't suffer from regional and ethnic influences, supports the Palestinians," he said.
"The Jewish community in Iran condemns the brutal murder of Palestinians. The [Western] powers are only concerned about their national and individual interests. They need to care about human rights and oppose inhumane killings," Sameyah continued.
He also maintained that Israeli domestic politics and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political ambitions played a role in the recent war with Hamas in Gaza.
"I am convinced that the war and attacks were premeditated. Escalating tensions and the outbreak of war consolidate feelings of solidarity in a country. Netanyahu wanted to take advantage of a war to form a coalition government, which he couldn't do so far," he said.
It should be noted that Sameyah is considered an ally of the ayatollah regime in Iran, and it is difficult to imagine he could have granted an interview, and the sentiments he would express, without coordinating it with senior regime officials beforehand.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
