Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called Israel’s existence an “insult to all humanity”, in one of his sharpest attacks yet on the Jewish state.
As Israel openly debates whether to attack Iran over its nuclear programme, Mr Ahmadinejad launched the stinging rebuke, saying confronting Israel is an effort to “protect the dignity of all human beings”.
“The existence of the Zionist regime is an insult to all humanity,” Mr Ahmadinejad said, in a speech to mark Quds (Jerusalem) Day, an anti-Israeli demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians.
Mr Ahmadinejad said that Israel is a “cancerous tumour” that will soon be finished off.
His address to worshippers at Tehran University was broadcast live on state television as part of nationwide government-organised protests.
Quds Day has been an annual event during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Iran ever since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
State television said millions of Iranians joined the marches across the country this year. Some demonstrators carried a coffin with pictures of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders.
Iranian protesters also shouted “Death to America, death to Israel” and burned American and Israeli flags in the rallies.
In his speech, Mr Ahmadinejad called for Muslim unity to foil Western support for Israel.
“You want a new Middle East? We do too, but in the new Middle East … there will be no trace of the American presence and the Zionists,” he said.
Mr Ahmadinejad called Israel “a corrupt, anti-human organised minority group standing up to all divine values”.
“Today, confronting the existence of the fabricated Zionist regime is in fact protecting the rights and dignity of all human beings,” he said, with a black and white scarf, which many Palestinians wear, around his neck.
Israel, thought to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed power, sees Iran’s nuclear activities as a threat to its existence and has repeatedly threatened military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the issue.
Mr Ahmadinejad, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian leaders have made repeated calls for Israel’s destruction.
Iran has denied allegations that it is seeking to build nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear programme is peaceful and aimed at producing electricity and radioisotopes used to treat cancer patients.
Iran has warned it would hit back at Israel if it is attacked, also threatening to strike at American interests in the region.
In Washington, National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor strongly condemned the Iranian leader’s comments.
“If Iranian officials are truly concerned about protecting the rights and dignity of all human beings, then Iran should stop supporting Assad’s brutal assault on the Syrian people,” he said.
“Iran and Syria’s blatant disregard for basic human rights is the real insult to humanity.”
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that Mr Ban also condemned the comments and said leaders in the region should use their voices to “lower, rather than to escalate, tensions”.
Israel and Iran have been bitter enemies for decades, but tensions have intensified since 2005 when Mr Ahmadinejad said that Israel will one day be “wiped off the map”.
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The problem is Israel, stipudThe Obama regime is penetrated from the top to bottom with Zionists in positions to influence every strategic decision relating to Iran and Middle East policy in general.The evidence of Zionist control is overwhelming and the consequences are deadly to any ‘balanced’ negotiations with Iran.This regime is not prepared to open serious negotiations with Iran, or to ‘broker’ an end of Israeli occupation of Palestine.On the contrary, their close ties with the Israel Lobby and long-term commitment to Israeli militarism and expansionist policies ensure that the Obama regime will proceed toward collaboration with the Jewish State in confrontation with Iran.USA and Israel will not allow any country in the Middle East to challenge Israel’s supremacy in the region.Everyone on Obama’s team supported the Israeli carnage in Gaza and endorsed Israel’s efforts to destroy the democratically elected Hamas government and prop up the discredited and corrupt Abbas.Israel lobby control the media and the world.Israel is wiping Palestine off the map and committing genocide but there is no media outcry or condemnation from the west.No leader of the western countries is able to condemn Israel because they are frightened of the influence and the power of Israel lobby.Ahmadinejad was the only leader who publicly condemned Israel and rightly so.This is the main reason why he is daily demonised by the western media. Fraudulent election and nuclear weapons are only an excuse.No matter how many nuclear bombs Israel possesses,No matter how many war crimes Israel commits,No matter how many women and children Israel murders.No matter how many Palestinians, Israel makes homeless.No matter how many UN resolutions, Israel violates,The USA and the European countries will not impose any sanctions against Israel but they are so eager to impose sanction against Iran.If we destroy the power of “Israel lobby”, and make Isral leaders accountable for their crimes, not only the negotiation with Iran would be possible but also this world will be a better place to live in.
Keffiyeh and Yarmulke wearers have never been in greater danger of extermination. The coming attack by Israel on Iran would result in a retaliation that would kill most Jews and destroy thousands of synagogues. Every nuclear bomb in the Israeli arsenal would then be used, 85% of Sunnis, Shi`ites and their Mosques would cease to exist. The few survivors will trash their Torah`s and Koran`s, they will only worship oil wealth and Shekels. The words Shalom and Allahu Akbar will be forgotten.