Exclusive: Israeli Knesset Member Rejects Khamenei's Claim of Ignorance About Hamas Attack

Odd Forer, a member of the Israeli Knesset, in an exclusive interview with a reporter from the Persian section of Voice of America in Israel, stated that the Iranian regime is committing evil by financially supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, which has nothing to do with Islam. A month after the war between Hamas and Israel, many reports have emerged regarding the role of the Islamic Republic in exacerbating this conflict. For instance, the Wall Street Journal reported just two days after the war began that senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah stated that officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been working with Hamas since August of this year to design air, land, and sea attacks. Nevertheless, the leader and other officials of the Islamic Republic deny involvement in this war, claiming they only provide political support to Hamas. In this context, Arash Sigarachi, a reporter from the Persian section of Voice of America in Israel, interviewed Odd Forer on Tuesday, November 7. Odd Forer told Voice of America, 'I do not believe that Ali Khamenei is trying to distance himself from Hamas. Hamas is one of the arms of the Iranian regime, and there is no doubt about it. The Iranian regime supports them and trains them.' He pointed out that 'the Iranian regime is spreading evil throughout the world' and added, 'They are trying to fight Israel through their proxy groups; groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and of course Hamas.' Mr. Forer stated, 'What we are witnessing is nothing but evil. Hamas launched a war against the country and people of Israel on October 7 (15th of Mehr); against anyone who is on Israeli soil.' The war began on October 15 with an attack by Hamas militants on Israel. In that attack, over 1,400 Israelis, most of whom were civilians, were killed, and about 240 were taken hostage by Hamas. According to Mr. Forer, 'As some say, this is not a religious war. This is not Islam, and I believe it is not on the agenda of Islam either. I actually think that Iran, by financially supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, is committing an evil that has nothing to do with Islam and is the peak of evil.'