Move Israel to Europe: Iran leader
IRAN'S hardline president has provoked international outrage by suggesting that the "tumour" of Israel should be moved to Europe to foster peace in the Middle East.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also expressed doubt that the Holocaust happened, prompting angry reactions from the US, Germany and Israel.
The remarks are likely to cause dismay in Tehran, where senior regime figures have complained that Mr Ahmadinejad's inexperience, zeal and strident rhetoric are damaging Iran's national interests. There had been predictions powerful pragmatic conservatives would rein him in, but he has so far remained defiant.
He reportedly told a news conference in the Saudi Arabian holy city of Mecca: "Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces. "They insist on it to the extent that if anyone proves something contrary to that, they condemn that person and throw them in jail."
Iranians did not accept that claim, he said. "(But) if we suppose it is true, our question to the Europeans is: is the killing of innocent Jewish people by Hitler the reason for their support to the occupiers of Jerusalem?
"If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces - like in Germany, Austria or other countries - to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe.
"You offer part of Europe and we will support it. Why do they insist on imposing themselves on other powers and creating a tumour so there is always tension and conflict?"
The comments, reported on Thursday by the IRNA news agency, have since sparked international outrage.
The US State Department yesterday labelled the comments "appalling and reprehensible".
Deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said the remarks appeared to be part of a "consistent pattern of rhetoric that is both hostile and out of touch with the values that the rest of the international community lives by".
"They certainly don't inspire hope among any of us in the international community that the Government of Iran is prepared to engage as a responsible member of that community," he said.
The State Department spokesman said Iran had pledged to uphold international norms and must be held to those standards.
But he declined to say what, if any, action the US might take. At the UN in New York, Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed shock at the comments attributed to Mr Ahmadinejad.
Mr Annan recently cancelled a trip to Tehran because of Mr Ahmadinejad's call in October "to wipe Israel off the map".
Just last month, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution rejecting "any denial of the Holocaust as an historical event, either in full or in part".
Mr Annan said all nations should educate their people about the Holocaust, in which "one-third of the Jewish people were murdered, along with countless members of other minorities".
Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said: "This is not the first time, unfortunately, the Iranian President has expressed the most outrageous ideas concerning Jews and Israel."
Mr Ahmadinejad, who won a surprise election victory in June, repeated Iran's proposal that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be resolved by a referendum of all those living in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
The Times, Reuters
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also expressed doubt that the Holocaust happened, prompting angry reactions from the US, Germany and Israel.
The remarks are likely to cause dismay in Tehran, where senior regime figures have complained that Mr Ahmadinejad's inexperience, zeal and strident rhetoric are damaging Iran's national interests. There had been predictions powerful pragmatic conservatives would rein him in, but he has so far remained defiant.
He reportedly told a news conference in the Saudi Arabian holy city of Mecca: "Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces. "They insist on it to the extent that if anyone proves something contrary to that, they condemn that person and throw them in jail."
Iranians did not accept that claim, he said. "(But) if we suppose it is true, our question to the Europeans is: is the killing of innocent Jewish people by Hitler the reason for their support to the occupiers of Jerusalem?
"If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces - like in Germany, Austria or other countries - to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe.
"You offer part of Europe and we will support it. Why do they insist on imposing themselves on other powers and creating a tumour so there is always tension and conflict?"
The comments, reported on Thursday by the IRNA news agency, have since sparked international outrage.
The US State Department yesterday labelled the comments "appalling and reprehensible".
Deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said the remarks appeared to be part of a "consistent pattern of rhetoric that is both hostile and out of touch with the values that the rest of the international community lives by".
"They certainly don't inspire hope among any of us in the international community that the Government of Iran is prepared to engage as a responsible member of that community," he said.
The State Department spokesman said Iran had pledged to uphold international norms and must be held to those standards.
But he declined to say what, if any, action the US might take. At the UN in New York, Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed shock at the comments attributed to Mr Ahmadinejad.
Mr Annan recently cancelled a trip to Tehran because of Mr Ahmadinejad's call in October "to wipe Israel off the map".
Just last month, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution rejecting "any denial of the Holocaust as an historical event, either in full or in part".
Mr Annan said all nations should educate their people about the Holocaust, in which "one-third of the Jewish people were murdered, along with countless members of other minorities".
Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said: "This is not the first time, unfortunately, the Iranian President has expressed the most outrageous ideas concerning Jews and Israel."
Mr Ahmadinejad, who won a surprise election victory in June, repeated Iran's proposal that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be resolved by a referendum of all those living in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
The Times, Reuters
posted by Marko at 12/09/2005 01:39:00 PM
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