Iranian rabbi joins Hamas, Hezbollah in praising ‘noble conduct of martyr Soleimani’

Soleimani was killed by a U.S. strike at the Baghdad airport in 2020.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

An Iranian rabbi joined representatives of Hezbollah, Hamas and other Iran-backed groups at a virtual conference in Tehran honoring Qassem Soleimani on the anniversary of the Iranian military leader’s assassination.

The online event, titled “Soleimani’s School, the Logic of Resistance, and the Future of the Front of Truth,” was held to mark the sixth anniversary of the killing of Soleimani, the longtime commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force.

Among the participants was Hacham Ounes Hammami Lalehzar, a senior figure in Iran’s Jewish community. He appeared alongside representatives from Hezbollah, as well as delegates linked to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and armed groups from Iraq and Yemen. Speakers focused on Soleimani’s role in regional conflicts and his influence beyond Iran’s borders.

In remarks to Iranian media, Hammami praised Soleimani’s conduct and framed his actions in religious terms. “Through the actions of the enemies of martyr Soleimani who killed him, and through the recent actions of the enemy against innocent people, women and children, we can understand the noble conduct of martyr Soleimani,” he said.

Hammami cited Soleimani’s involvement in Iraq as an example of what he described as humanitarian intervention. “Even when the Yazidis and Assyrians in Iraq were under attack by ISIS, martyr Soleimani rushed to their aid,” he said.

Soleimani was killed by a U.S. strike at the Baghdad airport in 2020. The Trump administration regarded him as a terror threat. Shortly after the strike, the Pentagon released a statement that said, “General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” adding that the Quds Force commander was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. servicemen and women.

Iran is home to a small Jewish population of around 10,000. Although relatively free to practice their religion, members of the Jewish community are often called upon to affirm their loyalty to the regime and to deny or renounce any connection with Israel.