"Iran stands by the Palestinian people and their resistance." — Ali Akbar Velayati, senior Iranian official, to leaders of the Palestinian terror groups, almayadeen.net. August 22, 2023.

"The victories that have been achieved are the result of the support of friendly peoples, especially Iran." — Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, thanking senior Iranian official Velayati for Iran's support for the terror attacks against Israel, almayadeen.net, August 22, 2023.

Recently, the leaders of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have been encouraging Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to launch protests near the border with Israel. The request came days after thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of the Gaza Strip to protest economic hardship under the rule of Hamas.

"We are a generation that grew up under difficult circumstances, and we did not have a single good day. I am 24 years old and have never traveled in my life. We want to live in dignity, this is our goal. We may not achieve that through these protests, but at least we raised our voice." — Shadi, a protestor against Hamas, dw.com, August 7, 2023.

Instead of heeding the calls of young Palestinians to solve the economic crisis, the Palestinian terror groups, with the help of Iran's mullahs, are sending them to attack Israeli soldiers with explosive devices and deadly stones.

Evidently, the leaders of Iran, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad do not care about the high rate of poverty and unemployment in the Gaza Strip. Why should these leaders care when they and their families are living in comfort in Qatar, Lebanon and Turkey?

"[Iran] adheres to the strategy of supporting the Palestinian people and their resistance and the cause of liberating the land. Iran will continue to support the resistance strongly." — Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, assuring the leaders of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad that Tehran's mullahs will continue to support their terrorist activities against Israel, i24news.tv, September 1, 2023.

According to Al-Mayadeen, a Hezbollah-affiliated news website, the high-level Iranian-Palestinian discussions are not protocol meetings. Instead, it said, the meeting aims to foil efforts to achieve normalization between Israel and some Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Libya.

So, Iran and its Palestinian terror proxies are now openly stating that their goal is not only to "liberate the land" (a euphemism for the elimination of Israel), but also to thwart efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Arab countries. To achieve their goal, the leaders of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are ready – from their five-star hotels and villas in Qatar, Turkey and Lebanon – to sacrifice other Palestinians.

"At least $16 billion has now been made available to Iran without any congressional input—and more might be on the way. Another $6.7 billion is reportedly moving to Iran via the International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights... and reportedly ... another $3 billion of regime assets frozen in Tokyo. India and China...." — Richard Goldberg, former White House security official, thedispatch.com, August 15, 2023.

There is no doubt that the funds will be used to escalate the "resistance" against Israel, fund the lavish lifestyle of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders, and intimidate Arabs who seek to make peace with Israel. By doing so, the Biden Administration is giving the mullahs a green light to pursue their destabilizing schemes not only against Israel, but also against Arab states, Europe and the United States.

Lavishing billions in bribes to Iran's mullahs might successfully dissuade them from "rocking the boat" before the US presidential election in November 2024, but after that, if and when Iran celebrates its nuclear weapons breakout, no one will be safe, least of all the United States.

Source: Bassam Tawil - Gatestone Institute