Gold9472
12-08-2005, 03:40 PM
Iran's president says move Israel
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4510922.stm
12/8/2005
Iran's conservative president has said that Israel should be moved to Europe.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that if Germany and Austria felt responsible for the Jewish Holocaust, they should give up land to make room for Israel.
"You oppressed them, so give a part of Europe to the Zionist regime so they can establish any government they want," he said on a visit to Mecca.
The president's remarks were quickly condemned by Israel and the US.
"This is not the first time, unfortunately, that the Iranian president has expressed the most outrageous ideas concerning Jews and Israel," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.
"He is not just Israel's problem. He is a worry for the entire international community," he added.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the Iranian leader's comments "further underscore our concerns about the regime".
"And it's all the more reason why it's so important that the regime not have the ability to develop nuclear weapons," he said.
Mr Ahmadinejad's stance drew condemnation from French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who were meeting in Berlin.
"The comments by the Iranian president are totally unacceptable," said Ms Merkel.
'Palestinians paying the price'
In October, Mr Ahmadinejad caused an outcry by calling for Israel to "be wiped off the map".
In his latest remarks, he accused European governments of backing Israel because of the Holocaust.
"Is it not true that European countries insist that they committed a Jewish genocide? They say that Hitler burned millions of Jews in furnaces... and exiled them," Mr Ahmadinejad said at a news conference in the Saudi Arabian holy city.
"Then because the Jews have been oppressed during World War II, therefore they [the Europeans] have to support the occupying regime of Jerusalem. We do not accept this," he said.
"The question is, where do those who rule in Palestine as occupiers come from? Where were they born? Where did their fathers live? They have no roots in Palestine but they have taken the fate of Palestine in their hands," Mr Ahmadinejad added.
"Isn't the right to national self-determination one of the principles of the United Nations charter? Why do they deprive Palestinians of this right?"
The president's comments come as Iran is mired in controversy over its nuclear programme, which it says is solely for the provision of fuel, but which the US says is aimed at producing nuclear weapons.
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report in September said questions about Iran's nuclear programme remained unanswered despite an intensive investigation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4510922.stm
12/8/2005
Iran's conservative president has said that Israel should be moved to Europe.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that if Germany and Austria felt responsible for the Jewish Holocaust, they should give up land to make room for Israel.
"You oppressed them, so give a part of Europe to the Zionist regime so they can establish any government they want," he said on a visit to Mecca.
The president's remarks were quickly condemned by Israel and the US.
"This is not the first time, unfortunately, that the Iranian president has expressed the most outrageous ideas concerning Jews and Israel," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.
"He is not just Israel's problem. He is a worry for the entire international community," he added.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the Iranian leader's comments "further underscore our concerns about the regime".
"And it's all the more reason why it's so important that the regime not have the ability to develop nuclear weapons," he said.
Mr Ahmadinejad's stance drew condemnation from French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who were meeting in Berlin.
"The comments by the Iranian president are totally unacceptable," said Ms Merkel.
'Palestinians paying the price'
In October, Mr Ahmadinejad caused an outcry by calling for Israel to "be wiped off the map".
In his latest remarks, he accused European governments of backing Israel because of the Holocaust.
"Is it not true that European countries insist that they committed a Jewish genocide? They say that Hitler burned millions of Jews in furnaces... and exiled them," Mr Ahmadinejad said at a news conference in the Saudi Arabian holy city.
"Then because the Jews have been oppressed during World War II, therefore they [the Europeans] have to support the occupying regime of Jerusalem. We do not accept this," he said.
"The question is, where do those who rule in Palestine as occupiers come from? Where were they born? Where did their fathers live? They have no roots in Palestine but they have taken the fate of Palestine in their hands," Mr Ahmadinejad added.
"Isn't the right to national self-determination one of the principles of the United Nations charter? Why do they deprive Palestinians of this right?"
The president's comments come as Iran is mired in controversy over its nuclear programme, which it says is solely for the provision of fuel, but which the US says is aimed at producing nuclear weapons.
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report in September said questions about Iran's nuclear programme remained unanswered despite an intensive investigation.