Ayatollah Rashad, head of Tehran’s Council for Religious Affairs, visited the Tehran synagogue damaged during Operation Roaring Lion and met with leaders of the Jewish community in Iran.
The visit served as a platform to attack Israel while presenting the Islamic Republic as a protector of religious minorities.
The meeting was attended by Hakham Younes Hamami Lalehzar, one of Iran’s rabbis; Homayoun Sameh, the Jewish representative in the Iranian parliament; and the vice president of the Jewish Association in Iran.
The ayatollah distinguished between Judaism and Zionism, saying, "Judaism is a Divine religion; Zionism is a political and imperialist movement - the two must not be mixed."
He added that the damage to the synagogue exposed "the anti-human nature of the Zionist current," and that the Jewish community in Iran stood alongside the Iranian people throughout the war.
Jewish community representative Hamami emphasized Iranian Jews' historical connection with their country, adding, "The Jewish community in Iran has always viewed itself as part of the Iranian people."
Another representative at the meeting said that "the Zionist regime destroys mosques, while the Islamic Republic builds synagogues."
At the end of the meeting, the participants visited the synagogue to examine the extent of the damage and discuss its restoration.