TEHRAN -- President Ebrahim Raisi said Tuesday the issue of Palestine should be considered as a top priority by all Muslim states, warning Arab countries against the adverse consequences of normalizing ties with the occupying regime of Israel.
“The move by some Arab countries to establish relations with the Zionist regime will not only fail to ensure their protection and security, but will also double the problems of these states and those of the region and Arab countries,” he said in a meeting with new Palestinian Ambassador to Tehran Salam al-Zawawi.
Faced with widespread protests by the Palestinian people and groups, the countries that normalized with the Zionist regime should know that “their treacherous act is rejected and condemned,” Raisi said.
The president said unity and coherence among all Palestinian groups play a pivotal role in achieving victory against the Israeli regime, adding it would “ultimately fulfill the goal of liberating Quds al-Sharif”.
Four Arab countries – the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco – agreed to normalize relations with Israel under U.S.-brokered agreements in 2020, when former president Donald Trump was in office.
Spearheaded by the UAE, the move has sparked widespread condemnations from the Palestinians as well as nations and human rights advocates across the world, especially within the Muslim world.
Palestinians have condemned the accords as a stab in their back and a direct affront to their cause to liberate their lands from Israeli occupation.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president stated that support for the Palestinian people and the liberation of Israeli-occupied Quds is among the top issues of the Muslim world.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is a true supporter of the Palestinian people and the liberation of Quds al-Sharif.”
Raisi said the Palestinian people are conveying the message of resistance against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western allies, emphasizing, “If the Zionists realize that the Palestinians will stand strong, their calculations will change.”
The new Palestinian ambassador, who submitted her credentials to the Iranian president, said the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran was definitely a big victory for the Arab and Muslim nations.
Zawawi added that some Arab and Muslim courtiers that are rushing toward the normalization of relations with the Zionist regime have in fact their back in the ideals of the Palestinian nation and ignore its rights and the relevant UN resolutions.