U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mocked Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for his “faux concern” for residents of the Palestinian Authority and for threatening violence against Israel on the eve of a solemn fast day.
“It’s sick that on the eve of Tisha B’Av – a solemn day for the Jewish people – Khamenei calls for violence against the Jewish state,” Pompeo tweeted early Sunday morning.
He added: “Khamenei’s faux concern for the Palestinian people runs so deep that under his reign of terror he provided less than $20,000 in aid since 2008, while sending millions to Hamas & other terrorists. In contrast, U.S. provided $6.3 billion in support to Palestinians since 1994.”
Pompeo was responding to a series of Khamenei tweets from Saturday. One decries the Trump administration’s as yet unrevealed Mideast peace plan, saying: “The plot of ‘Deal of the Century’, which is being worked on by the oppressive U.S. and its traitorous cohorts, is a crime committed against humankind not just the Palestinian nation.”
Another tweet said: “Today, one of the most important issues of the World of Islam is the question of #Palestine which stands on top of all political issues of Muslims regardless of their denominations, race, or language. #KaabaUnitesUs “
Khamenei’s tweets came as Muslims prepared for the Saturday night start of the festival of Eid al Adha, or festival of the sacrifice, which celebrates the willingness of Ibrahim, to sacrifice his son Ishmael, according to Muslim tradition.
Saturday night also was the start of the fast Tisha B’Av, which marks the day on the Jewish calendar that both Holy Temples were destroyed.