Ayatollah Khamenei’s “Free Palestine” Poster: Heavy on Holocaust Imagery, Light on Palestinian Freedom

In the first year of his reign in Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini instituted Quds Day (literally, Jerusalem day), a public holiday observed with rallies and calls for Israel’s destruction. To honor the occasion this year, the office of Khomeini’s successor, Ali Khamenei, released a celebratory poster advocating for a “final solution” to the problem posed by the Jewish state. Arash Azizi writes:

The 2020 poster is headlined “Palestine Will Be Free.” In a cartoonish style reminiscent of the Where’s Waldo series, it shows a group of people who have apparently conquered the courtyard of Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque. The Dome of the Rock is seen in the background. The holy mosque is emblazoned with a picture of Qassem Suleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force who was assassinated by the Americans in January. But the most significant feature of the poster is its unmistakable subtitle: “The final solution: resistance until referendum.”

In addition to the [appalling] subtitle, other features of the poster betray Iran’s attitude to the Palestinians. There is no flag of Iran, but there are flags of Iran’s Shiite partners in the region, such as Lebanon’s Hizballah. There are large pictures of Khamenei and Khomeini, plus those of the Hizballah figures Hassan Nasrallah and Imad Mughniyeh, but hardly any images of Palestinian national figures. There is a small picture of Ahmed Yassin, a Palestinian imam and the founding figure of Hamas, assassinated by Israel in 2004. There are only three women in the picture, all wearing the Islamic hijab, and one holding a baby.

This is . . . the “free” Palestine imagined by Khamenei: inspired by Adolf Hitler, for men only, where icons of the Islamic regime of Tehran loom large without any sign of the rich repertoire of Palestinian national life.

Read more at Iran Wire

More about: Ali Khamenei, Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran, Palestinians

What’s Behind Hamas’s Threat to Stall the Release of Hostages, and How Israel Should Respond

Feb. 12 2025

Hamas declared yesterday that it won’t release more hostages “until further notice.” Given the timing and wording of the announcement—several days before the release was supposed to take place, and speaking of a delay rather than a halt—Ron Ben-Yishai concludes that it is a negotiating tactic, aimed at “creating a temporary crisis to gain leverage.” Therefore, writes Ben-Yishai, “Hamas may reverse its decision by Saturday.” He adds:

Israel cannot afford to concede to Hamas’s demands beyond what is already outlined in the agreement, as doing so would invite continuous extortion throughout the negotiation process, further delaying hostage releases.

The group sees the public outrage and growing calls for action following the release of hostages in severe medical condition as an opportunity to extract more concessions. These demands include not only a rapid start to negotiations on the next phase of the deal and an end to the war but also smaller, immediate benefits, particularly improved conditions for displaced Gazans.

Beyond these tactical objectives, Hamas has another goal—one that Israelis do not always recognize: inflicting psychological pain on the Israeli public. The group benefits from, and perhaps even draws strength from, the anguish and emotional distress in Israel, as well as the testimonies of freed hostages detailing the abuse they endured. Hamas wants these stories to be heard—not only to pressure the Israeli government but also because, in the eyes of its supporters, Israel’s suffering is its ultimate victory.

Read more at Ynet

More about: Gaza War 2023, Hamas, Israeli Security