(JTA) — Iran unveiled a monument to Jews who died during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War.
IRNA, the official Iranian news agency posted photos of the ceremony Monday, headlined “Monument to Jewish Martyrs Unveiled in Tehran.”
The page was captioned, “Iran on Monday unveiled a monument to the Jewish citizens who lost their lives in the 8-year Iraqi imposed war on Iran.”
The monument, a gold-colored slab with inscriptions in Persian and topped by an artistic representation of the Hebrew phrase, “Peace Forever,” appears to be set in a Jewish cemetery.
Another slab bears a tiled depiction of a gold seven-stemmed Menorah set against a royal blue background.
There also are photos of officials speaking at a podium next to a large seven-stemmed menorah, and of Jews praying and paying respects at tombstones in the cemetery.
The Iranian parliament’s vice-speaker, Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard, praised the relationship between the government and Iran’s Jewish community during an address at the ceremony.
“The explicit stances of the Jewish community in supporting the Islamic Republic’s establishment and their obedience to the Supreme Leader of the (Islamic) Revolution demonstrate the bonds originating from the teachings of the divine religions,” he said, the Tasnim news agency reported.
He also praised the Jewish community for its condemnation of U.S. demands on Iran, Israeli actions visa vis the Palestinians and the “violent and inhumane” behavior of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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