(UnitedVoice.com) – The Israeli-Hamas war has had a significant impact on global tensions. This is particularly on display in the United States, where there are pro-Palestine and anti-Israel protests around the nation, especially at college campuses, where hundreds have been arrested over the past few months. While many have chimed in with their opinion on the demonstrations, none were as strange as that of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Letter to College Students
Recently, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Khamenei addressed a “letter to the youth whose awakened consciences,” referencing the American college students who have participated in anti-Israel protests. He says they “have now formed a branch of the Resistance Front” by defending the Palestinians and standing up for “the oppressed children and women of Gaza.”
The Resistance Front is a coalition of groups backed by Iran, including Hezbollah and Hamas, which is responsible for the surprise attack that took place on October 7, killing 1,200 Israelis. The militant group also took more than 200 hostages that night.
The supreme leader also had words for the staff and professors at the colleges, saying their support of the college students demonstrating is “significant and consequential” and referenced “police brutality,” stating he “empathizes” with the youth.
Khamenei’s statement is a bit ironic, considering his own country is widely known for oppressing women. In fact, it was his own morality police that beat 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for not wearing the appropriate headdress. She later died in custody. The country is also staunchly against any demonstrations that call the government into question, and especially so against those who fight for women’s rights.
The Layers of Backlash
Naturally, the statement wasn’t very well received by US lawmakers. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made it very simply clear that “When you’ve won the Ayatollah, you’ve lost America.”
While Khamenei says the students are on “the right side of history,” many beg to differ and have challenged that position. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) was one such person to speak out. He retweeted the supreme leader’s post and added his own sentiments. Scott said it “should be clear as day” that anyone who is siding with Khamenei, “the leader of a terrorist regime who kills his own people — you are on the wrong side of history.”
The Israel-Hamas war continues to persist. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have continued their pursuit into Rafah. It recently claimed to gain hold over a series of tunnels beneath Rafah, on the border of Egypt. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged not to end the conflict until he eradicates Hamas.
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