Representatives of Iran's Jewish community addressed the Iranian parliament Wednesday, demanding the country retaliate against the United States and Israel following recent military strikes and the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
Houmayan Samej, the Jewish community's parliamentary representative, accused the West of double standards. "While accusing Iran of supporting terrorism for years, today they remain silent as the U.S. and Israel commit attacks against Iranian commanders, officials and civilians," he said, according to Iranian media reports.
Dr. Khaham Chamamei Lazair, a senior rabbi in Iran, quoted the Book of Numbers to justify his demand for retaliation: "The land will not be cleansed of blood except by the blood of the one who shed it." Speaking to Iranian press, he said, "The Torah teaches that spilled blood is only pardoned by the blood of the murderer."
Chamamei called for the Iranian state to pursue what he termed "blood revenge" against those responsible for Khamenei's death.
The remarks came during a parliamentary conference titled "Realization of the Promise of Revenge," held against the backdrop of escalating U.S. military operations in the region over the past months.
