TEHRAN – Leader of the 
Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the occupying regime of Israel “must be punished and it shall be” for attacking the Iranian consular section in Syria.
“When they attack the consulate, it is as if they have attacked our soil,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a speech marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. “The evil regime made a mistake and must be punished and it shall be,” he added.
The Leader also blasted the leaders of the U.S. and United Kingdom for their continuing support of the Zionist regime, to the chants of “Death to America” by the crowd.
“Western governments, in the past year’s events, openly displayed the wicked nature of Western civilization to the world,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“The bloody events in Gaza have left a bitter taste for Muslims around the world during this year’s blessed Ramadan,” he said.
“They killed children in their mothers’ arms and patients in hospitals. Their strength does not match that of the resistance fighters, so they claim the lives of old men, families, children and women, and killed more than thirty thousand innocent people,” the Leader said. 
“Where are those whose cacophonous voice on human rights deafen the ears of the world? Are these not human beings? Don’t they have any rights?”
Ayatollah Khamenei said the Western governments have for years invariably helped and supported Israel, and also backed the regime in international circles and provided it with all kinds of aid. 
“They should have prevented the crimes of the regime in this disaster. But the Western governments did not fulfill their duty. Some spoke in support of the people in Gaza, but in practice they not only failed to prevent but also contributed to the war, especially the arrogant and cruel governments of the U.S.  and UK,” the Leader noted.
Later in the day, the Leader received a group of Iranian authorities, ambassadors of Muslim countries, and people of various social strata.
Ayatollah Khamenei hailed pro-Palestine rallies in Iran and across the world on Quds Day, the last Friday of Ramadan, as an “extraordinary, political and international move.”
The Leader stressed that Gaza is at the top of the issues of the Islamic world and everyone must feel responsible.
“The hearts of nations go out to Gaza, even the non-Muslims. You see these rallies and demonstrations

 that are staged across the world in favor of the Palestinians and the people of Gaza; these marches are unprecedented. We have not seen anything like this,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Pointing to the mass rallies in the U.S., Europe and Africa in support of Palestinians on Quds Day, the Leader said, “It seems something new is being done, a new development is taking place in the Muslim world.”
Ayatollah Khamenei also denounced “regrettable” support provided by certain Muslim countries to the Israeli regime in its months-long war on Gaza.
“This is a betrayal of the Islamic Ummah. It is also a self-betrayal, because they are strengthening the waning Zionist institutions and this empowerment will be to their own detriment.”
Ayatollah Khamenei called on the Muslim community to sever relations with the Zionist regime. 
Islamic governments should cut off their economic ties and political relations with the Zionist regime, the Leader said, describing it as the “definite proposal” of the Islamic Republic of Iran.  
“The least we can expect from Muslim countries is that they temporarily cut ties with the Zionist regime and do not help it as long as it continues its crimes” against the Palestinians, the Leader said.