A West Bank leader has sent a letter of congratulations to the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khoumeini in Iran declaring that the “victory of the Moslem revolution” in Iran laid an important basis for “the bottle for the liberation of the occupied territory.” The letter was sent over the weekend and made public by Sheikh Hi### Al Mohtassib, chairman of the East Jerusalem Supreme Moslem Council, the highest Moslem authority under the Israeli administration.
At least two other public figures on the West Bank are known to have sent similar letters to Khoumeini but did not disclose their contents. These and Mohtassib’s letter were the first public expression of support for the Iranian leader from Arabs under Israeli administration. They were sent amid reports from Teheran that the new regime in Iran backed the Palestinian cause and intended to help in the struggle against Israel. Mohtassib noted that Khoumeini’s victory strengthened the status of Moslems throughout the world.
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