Iranian Jewish community holds rally in support of nuclear program
Demonstrators denounce Zionism, saying it "has nothing to do with Judaism."
By JPOST.COM STAFFAnti-Zionism rally in Iran 370(photo credit: REUTERS/Caren Firouz )
Iranian Jews gathered in front of the United Nations office in Tehran on Tuesday to express their support for Iran's "right to enrich," a day before the Islamic Republic and other world powers are set to meet in Geneva to resume nuclear talks.Demonstrators held the Torah and banners with statements in English, Hebrew and Farsi in support of Iran's nuclear negotiators, and performed mass religious ceremonies, Iranian PressTV reported."Iranian monotheists are proud of supreme leader fatwa for prohibition of mass killing weapons," the banners read.“We, the Iranian Jews, announce our full support for Iran’s negotiating team in the talks with the P5+1 and advise the other party to seize this opportunity,” a statement issued by the Jewish community in Iran read.The statement added that the Iranian Jews "insist on standing by their Muslim brothers in defending the right to use peaceful nuclear energy for scientific and economic progress of Iran."The statement also included a denouncement of Zionism, saying that it "has nothing to do with Judaism."At the underground Fordow nuclear facility, Iranian students gathered on Tuesday to form a human chain to show their support of the Iranian negotiating team.They were joined by the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali-Akbar Salehi, who said Iranians "will never give up the full cycle of nuclear fuel production."