Supporters wave Palestinian and Hezbollah flags at a pro-Hezbollah rally in the southern Beirut suburbs, Oct. 8, 2023. (Credit: João Sousa/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT – Quds Day, also known as "Jerusalem Day," is an annual global event held to express solidarity with Palestine and oppose the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. It is traditionally celebrated on the last Friday of Ramadan, which this year falls today, on April 5.
It was established by Iran's first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1979 following the Iranian Revolution as a symbol of support for Palestinians and rejection of Israeli control over East Jerusalem.
While some observers suggest Iran may have political motives behind the event, Iran's foreign ministry describes it as "a symbol of the unity of the entirety of humanity" and criticizes the United States and Western states for supporting Israel's actions.
The day typically features mass protests and rallies, with the largest gatherings occurring in countries like Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan, and the occupied West Bank. Demonstrations also take place in other countries such as India, Bahrain, South Africa, and Morocco.
Over the years, people from various faiths, including Muslims, Jews and Christians, have participated in the rallies. While some participants chant anti-Israel and anti-US slogans and engage in symbolic acts like burning Israeli flags, the event is not limited to these expressions.
In Tehran, Iran's capital, a large funeral is scheduled on Quds Day to honor Iran's Revolutionary Guard members killed in an Israeli attack in Syria Monday.
Iran and Hezbollah have sometimes used the occasion to showcase their military capabilities by displaying rockets and arms that they possess.
Jerusalem Day, on the other hand, is an Israeli national holiday celebrated on the 28th of Iyar in the Hebrew calendar, which usually falls in April or May in the Gregorian calendar. It commemorates the "reunification" of East Jerusalem (including the Old City) with West Jerusalem following the Six-Day War of 1967, during which Israel occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, effectively annexing the former. The day is marked officially throughout Israel with state ceremonies and memorial services.