On Quds Day, many Iranians also expressed anger at the presence of the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, who was in Iran for the aforementioned “Flood of the Free” conference. One made fun of his name, which in Persian could also be read as “Nokhaleh,” meaning scum, by posting on Instagram, “what an appropriate name,” while another expressed anger at the Iranian regime’s hoisting a massive Palestinian flag in Tehran prior to the Quds Day march.

Overall, whether celebratory or somber, the wide range of activities the Islamic Republic of Iran funded and organized in the run-up to and on Quds Day once again exposed the regime’s obsession with anti-Jewish hate and anti-Israel violence.

Meir Javedanfar is an Iranian-Israeli lecturer, author, and commentator. He has been teaching Iranian politics at Reichman University in Israel since 2012 and is the Anti-Defamation League’s Advisor on Iranian Affairs. @MeirJa 

Aykan Erdemir is ADL’s Director of Global Research and Diplomatic Affairs. @aykan_erdemir.

Image: Saeediex / Shutterstock.com.