Iran to stage anti-Israel rallies amid peace talks in Washington

Sep 2, 2010, 10:13 GMT

Tehran - Iran called Thursday on all Iranians to attend nationwide anti-Israeli rallies as direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians were under way in Washington.

The late supreme leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, grand ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, had declared the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan as Quds (Jerusalem) Day and called for mass rallies against Israel and in support of the Palestinians.

The rallies this year, to be held this Friday, coincide with the first direct Middle East peace talks in almost two years, set Thursday in Washington, where US President Barack Obama was hosting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to Iranian state media, millions of people were expected to attend the state-run rallies throughout the country and voice their support for Palestinians and the 'liberation of their lands from the Zionist regime's occupation.'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted Wednesday that the talks in Washington would once again fail because the main demand of the Palestinian people, which is an end to the Israeli occupation, was once again not being considered.

Iran does not recognize Israel's sovereignty and said the only pragmatic option to resolve the Mideast conflict would be a referendum for all Palestinians, including the millions of refugees, to determine their fate.

The Iranian government, however, also has security concerns related to Friday's rallies after opposition supporters last year used Quds Day to protest against Ahmadinejad.

Tehran police chief Hossein Sajedinia told the Fars news agency that police forces were deployed in several parts of Tehran to maintain security during the rallies.

The opposition accused the government of fraud in last year's presidential vote, which led to Ahmadinejad's re-election. It organized a series of demonstrations, and the government responded with deadly crackdowns. There have been no street protests since December.

Another complaint of the opposition is that the government focusses too much on the Palestinians and Lebanon rather than on the numerous political and economic problems inside Iran.

According to opposition websites, government supporters in recent days have gathered in front of the house of one opposition leader to intimidate him and prevent him from attending Friday's rallies.

The websites said the government supporters stole security cameras installed at the house of moderate cleric Mehdi Karroubi, leader of the opposition party Etemad Melli (National Trust), threw stones and sprayed the building with paint.