Iran's influential former president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani lashed out Friday at the US House of Representatives for its resolution condemning the Palestinian leadership for ongoing violence with Israel.
"You have associations to protect animals and bodies for the protection of human rights ... all the while you deprive the Palestinian people of their most fundamental rights," Rafsanjani said in a Friday sermon at Tehran University.
The House resolution showed that the United States treats Iran and Iraq with a different standard than Israel and "has no respect for human dignity or human rights," said Rafsanjani, now head of Iran's powerful Expediency Council.
Rafsanjani said the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation "this time seems to be strong, and God willing it will continue."
By a 365-30 vote Wednesday, the US House expressed "its solidarity with the state and people of Israel" and condemned the Palestinian leadership "for encouraging the violence and doing so little for so long to stop it, resulting in the senseless loss of life."
The resolution, which now goes to the Senate for consideration, calls on the Palestinian leadership "to refrain from any exhortations to public incitement ... (and) to vigorously use its security forces to act immediately to stop all violence ... and to settle all grievances through negotiations" -- TEHRAN (AFP)
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