The rabbi made the remarks while speaking to IRNA in New York on Friday.
The International Quds Day is marked annually worldwide to show support for the Palestinians.
“We’ve gathered here to observe the International Quds Day. It is not the first year we’re here … this year is much different than the other years while we’re witnessing ongoing genocide happening in Gaza,” Deutsch said.
He went on to say that his participation in the Day is aimed to express "deep pain with the people of Gaza.”
In his remarks, the Rabbi noted that the demonstration is against not only the genocide in Gaza but also the “whole occupation since the beginning which is totally wrong.”
Furthermore, he distinguished between Zionism and Judaism, emphasizing that Judaism is a religion that serves God, whereas the philosophy of Zionism is a "nationalistic movement" unrelated to Judaism.
As he stressed, Zionism takes advantage of Judaism to “justify all their crimes.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, the rabbi referred to “total dismantlement" of the Zionist regime and formation of the State of Palestine as a solution to the current crisis. He also expressed hoped that it would happen peacefully.
International Quds Day which fell on April 5 this year is an occasion designated by the late founder of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini more than 40 years ago. Imam Khomeini named the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan as Quds Day.
Since the onset of the bombardment of Gaza on October 7, 2023, over 33,000, mostly children and women, have been killed in the enclave.
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