In a Friday sermon at Tehran University, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said that the election results will stand. Speaking to a crowd of thousands, Khamenei asked:
Eleven million votes difference? Sometimes there's a margin of 100,000, 200,000, or million maximum. Then one can doubt maybe there has been some rigging or manipulation or irregularities. But there's a difference of 11 million votes. How can vote rigging happen?He went on to give his blessing to the result, by pronouncing that
This is a sign of God’s mercy for this nation. The fate of the country should be decided in ballot boxes, not on the streets.In addition to backing the result, Khamenei threw his full support behind President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stating his support for his international and social policies, which have been considerably more conservative than Ahamadinejad's predecessor Mohammad Khatami.
Khamenei also called for an end to the protests, delivering a warning that all demonstrations must end and that opposition leaders would be held responsible for violence. The governor of the Tehran province, Morteza Tamadon, also voiced his opinion that no permission will be given to opposition protesters for any future rallies, including one planned for Saturday.
In other news related to the election, Iran's intelligence ministry has said that they successfully thwarted a terrorist plot that was to be carried out on election day. State-run television issued a statement saying
Members of one of the uncovered networks were planning to plant bombs on election day at various crowded Tehran spots, including Ershad and Al-Nabi mosques.The "uncovered networks" that statement referred to was allegedly an American-trained group in Iraq with Israeli support.
UK Ambassador to Lebanon Talks to Hezbollah
The British Ambassador to Lebanon, Frances Guy, met with Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad, in the first talks between the United Kingdom and Hezbollah since 2005. Reportedly, the main issues discussed were the recent Lebanese elections and Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel and has called for full disarmament of non-state actors. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Hezbollah representative stated that the "doors are open to further meetings."
HEADLINES
Israel, Palestine and America: Both states must be real (The Economist)
Israeli police humiliate Palestinians in video (AFP)
Hamas "looking for a way out" of prisoner swap deadlock, Israeli media says (Ma'an)
Egypt President: Peace is closer (The Palestine Telegraph)
Lieberman: Israel's only dispute with U.S. is over settlements (Ha'aretz)
Turkey says willing to resume Israel-Syria talks (Reuters)
Palestine and the Palestinians
Feature: Severe water shortage threatens W Bank refugee camp (Xinhua)
PCHR Weekly Report: 2 Palestinians die of earlier wounds, 5 injured by Israeli settlers this week (IMEMC)
Report: Hamas to present new list of prisoners (Ynet)
Israel
Israel seeks policy change no matter who leads Iran (Reuters)
'Israeli-Palestinian talks must resume' (The Jerusalem Post)
Poll: Israeli Jews See Obama as Pro-Palestinian (Fox News)
Lieberman has a vision for first stage of peace talks (Ha'aretz)
Israel interest rates to stay on hold for months (Forbes)
The Neighbors
Hariri praises 'perfect position' of Palestinians (Daily Star)
Report warns against delaying Nahr al-Bared rebuilding (Daily Star)
Israel's Barak To Egypt For Mubarak Meeting Sunday (NASDAQ.com)
Arab world sees settlement row as test of Obama's credibility (Ha'aretz)
US Foreign Policy
In a Staff Shuffle, Signs of Obama’s Direction on Mideast (New York Times)
U.S. intelligence 'unequivocally opposed' to parole for Pollard (Ha'aretz)
Muslim congressman: Palestinians can’t live under current conditions (Ynet)
International Relations/Law
EU leaders: Iran has to prove elections were fair (Ha'aretz)
Peace deal 'within the year' if all committed - Blair (Jordan Times)
Somali Minister Killed in Bombing (New York Times)
Arts and Activism
Bringing hope to Palestinians (The Star)
Palestinian School begins cultural heritage program at Bloomsbury Theatre beginning of July (Palestine News Network)
Misc.
Pushing an alternative Palestinian-Israeli peace plan (Xinhua)
Arabic blogosphere begins to bloom (BBC News)
Commentary
Said: The Time Has Come to Solve the Palestinian Issue (Asharq Alawsat)
Herzog: It's hard for an Israeli PM to say no when the U.S. dangles a carrot (The Globe and Mail)
Yehoshua: Israel's real friends are honest about its mistakes (Daily Star)
Syed: Israel: Road map to nowhere (Arab News)
Makdisi: The language that absolves Israel (LA Times)
Akhavi: Parsing Netanyahu's Palestinian State (Anti-War)
Mubarak: How to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace (Wall Street Journal)
Benn: West Bank Road Trip (Haaretz)
Gerges: Obama's Mideast challenge (Daily Times)
Abu Nimah and Abunimah: Netanyahu's "Brilliant" peace plan (Electronic Intifada)
Avnery: The case of Netanyahu and the curious incident (Counterpunch)
Views expressed on this post or on linked web pages do not represent the Palestine Center, the educational program of the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development. All content is for educational purposes only.
