Iranian Islamic Scholar Sayyed Issa Tabtebaei On Hizbullah TV: During The 1982 Lebanon War, Khomeini Allowed Suicide Operations Against Israel; The Jews Want To Destroy Islam

On July 24, 2022, Iranian Islamic Scholar Sayyed Issa Tabtebaei, who in the past served as previous Iranian Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini's representative in Lebanon, appeared in an interview on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon). He said that in 1982, during the First Lebanon War, he had told Khomeini that it was time to take revenge against Israel and had suggested to him to form a council of religious scholars that would issue rulings about fighting Israel and about the permissibility of "suicide operations". Tabtebaei said that Khomeini had corrected him by saying that "suicide" operations are actually "martyrdom" operations and that they are "absolutely" permitted. Citing the Quran, Tabtebaei also said that the Jews are "the strongest in enmity towards the believers," and he warned that they want to destroy Islam, the Quran, and the Islamic nation.

Sayyed Issa Tabtebaei: "[In 1982] I thought that Israel stepped into Lebanon with both of its treacherous feet, and that this was the time to take revenge against Israel. Without letting anyone in the world know Israel invaded Lebanon, and it even reached Beirut. What should we have done? I came up with the idea to turn to Imam Khomeini. I told him: 'Sir, criminal and treacherous Israel has entered with both its feet into Lebanon. The time for revenge has come. How can we besiege Israel and wreak vengeance upon it?' He said: 'What do you need?'

"I told him that some of the religious scholars in Lebanon are present, and some have left. What should we do? [I said] we should establish a committee of religious scholars that would issue fatwas about fighting Israel and would make rulings about committing..."

Interviewer: ­­"Jihadi operations..."

Tabtebaei: "... committing suicide operations."

Interviewer: ­­"You mean martyrdom operations."

Tabtebaei: "I said to him 'suicide operations.' So Imam Khomeini said: 'These are not acts of suicide, but acts of martyrdom.'"

Interviewer: ­­"Ah, you talked to Imam Khomeini about suicide operations, and he corrected you that these are martyrdom operations."

Tabtebaei: "Yes, he said that these operations are absolutely allowed.

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"The Jews are undoubtedly 'the strongest in enmity towards the believers.' They want to destroy Islam, the Quran, and the Islamic nation."