Larijani: US powered Israel's war on Gaza

Iran's parliament speaker says the US and its European allies provided Israel with behind-the-scenes support during its 22-day war on Gaza.

"Israel carried out a very barbaric attack against the Gazans. It took none of the international norms and regulations into account," said Ali Larijani, while addressing the international "Gaza, Symbol of Resistance" seminar in Tehran on Tuesday

"The regime used prohibited chemical weapons, and destroyed hospitals, mosques, and civilian infrastructure. It is sad that despite all Israel's human rights violations, the US and other Western powers stood by Tel Aviv throughout the whole ordeal."

Larijani attacked the Western alliance for giving Israel all the military support it needed to launch its deadly operation on the impoverished coastal Palestinian strip.

The Iranian parliament speaker said that the US blocked efforts to pass a binding resolution at the United Nations Security Council against Israel so as to stop the offensive.

"There was no talk of human rights during those 22 days. Even though the political system had changed in the US and a new president had been elected with the motto of change.”

"But it seems that they did not think it necessary to spend any time on this issue. Up to 5,000 Palestinians were killed and injured as the event unfolded, but he (Barack Obama) chose to think about picking a dog for his daughter."

Larijani said all those who kept quiet when Israel was committing war crimes in Gaza should be ashamed.

He also noted that despite suffering heavy damages, Palestinians came out as the true winner of Israel's war on Gaza.

The Iranian official also said that the conduct of the Israeli regime and the West's lack of regard for the basic rights of Palestinians has left them with no choice but to resist.

"During the past year, many conferences have been held for the reconstruction of Gaza, but have [not] actually taken any steps to that effect. Gaza is still under siege. This shows that at these conferences they do not want to help the people of Palestine.”

"It is clear from their actions that the US and Israel are trying to mock the Palestinians. This means that we have no option but to resist."

He then urged all regional states not to hesitate when it comes to taking a stance against Israel, pointing out that the people of the Middle East were convinced that the so-called US efforts to bring peace to the region were nothing but a "sham."

Larijani said the leaders of regional states view the Road Map as a "joke," because they know that it is doomed to failure.

Many independent analysts believe that the key to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lies in Tel Aviv's out-right refusal to accept the Palestinian's "Right of Return," an internationally recognized right which applies to all refugees worldwide.

Since its creation in 1948, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been forced to leave their homes to live in other areas of their homeland, such as the West bank or the Gaza Strip, in other regional countries or elsewhere in the world.

Palestinian refugees, some of whom are even denied the basic rights of a citizen where they live, currently number close to five million.

Tel Aviv says allowing these people, who are mostly Arab Muslims, to return to their ethnic homeland will ruin 'Israel's Jewish Character.'

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=116514§ionid=351020101.