Iranian president calls Israel ‘disgraceful blot’
{{date|October 27, 2005}}
[[Iran]]ians plan a nation-wide demonstration on Friday in support of their president's comments that called for the elimination of Israel. The demonstrations would coincide with the annual event called [[w:al-Quds Day|al-Quds Day]], where the Israeli control of Jerusalem is protested. 

[[w:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] in a speech to 3,000 students in [[w:Tehran|Tehran]] said Wednesday there was, "no doubt the new wave [of attacks] in Palestine will soon wipe off this disgraceful blot from the face of the Islamic world." At a conference called ''"The World without Zionism"'', the recently elected Iranian president Ahmadinejad said the establishment of Israel was, "a move by the world oppressor against the Islamic world," a reference to Western military and political pressure.

Ahmadinejad won the presidency in June with a populist approach that stressed [[w:Islam|Islam]] and revolutionary principles. The speech cited numerous references to the [[w: Ruhollah Khomeini|Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini]] and included a declaration that, "As the imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map." 

Other similar remarks, such as "God willing, the eradication of Israel would soon be realized through the continued wisdom of the Palestinian nation," have drawn wide condemnation.

France and Germany have summoned the respective Iranian ambassadors to their countries. A spokesperson for the British government called the remarks "deeply disturbing and sickening". The European Union said in a joint statement that "calls for violence, and for the destruction of any state, are manifestly inconsistent with any claim to be a mature and responsible member of the international community".

Israeli Prime minister [[w:Ariel Sharon|Ariel Sharon]] said that "a country that calls for the destruction of another people cannot be a member of the United Nations" and added: "Such a country that has nuclear weapons is a danger, not only to Israel and the Middle East, but also to Europe."

The [[w:United Nations|United Nations]] Secretary General [[w: Kofi Annan|Kofi Annan]] expressed "dismay" over Ahmadinejad's remarks. In statements released by his secretary on Thursday, Annan, whose plans still include a visit to Iran within a month, said he would "place the Middle East peace process, and the right of all states in the area to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force, at the top of his agenda for that visit." The U.N. Charter calls on all members to refrain from threats or force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state.

A U.S. state department spokesman, Sean McCormick, said the United States would not support the call by Israel to eject Iran from the United Nations. McCormick's response was centered on issues of the enriched uranium processing in Iran, the human rights of its people, and alleged support for terrorism abroad.

The U.S. has had no formal diplomatic relations with Iran since the [[w:Iranian Revolution|Islamic revolution]] of 1979. 

== Recent news ==

*{{Wikinews|title=Suicide bomber strikes Israeli coastal town
|date=October 26, 2005}}

== Sources ==

*{{source|url=http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/article_1057967.php/Roundup_International_condemnation_for_Iranian_comments_on_Israel
|title=International condemnation for Iranian comments on Israel
|author=
|pub=dpa
|date=October 27, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/10/E15E03D6-1013-440F-BDCF-E61D727624ED.html 
|title=Iran: President Says Israel Should Be 'Wiped Off Map'
|author=Golnaz Esfandiari
|pub=Radio Free Europe
|date=October 27, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B882E879-1F7C-4CC0-B94E-2EF6310AAD9A.htm
|title=Iran condemned over anti-Israel call
|author=
|pub=Aljazeera
|date=October 27, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/638105.html
|title=EU leaders condemn Iran for calling for destruction of Israel
|author=
|pub=Haaretz
|date=October 27, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/27/AR2005102701194.html 
|title=U.S. Doesn't Back Call for Iran Expulsion
|author=Barry Schweid ([[Associated Press|AP]])
|pub=The Washington Post
|date=October 27, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.forbes.com/finance/feeds/afx/2005/10/27/afx2304255.html 
|title=UN's Annan expresses dismay over Iranian anti-Israel comments
|author={{w|AFX News Limited|AFX}}
|pub=Forbes
|date=October 27, 2005}}
*{{source|url= http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/10/27/international/i131522D62.DTL
|title=Iranians to Back President on Israel Issue
|author=[[Associated Press|AP]]
|pub=SFGate
|date=October 27, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-17/0510264068140136.htm 
|title=Ahmadinejad: Supporters of Israel will face wrath of Islamic ummah
|author=
|pub=Islamic Republic News Agency
|date=October 26, 2005}}

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[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Iran]]
[[Category:Israel]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:United Nations]]
[[Category:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]]
[[Category:Kofi Annan]]
[[Category:Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Tehran]]
[[Category:Ariel Sharon]]

[[ca:El president de l'Iran declara que Israel hauria de ser esborrat de la Terra]]
[[es:Presidente de Irán declara que Israel debería ser borrado de la faz de la Tierra]]
[[fr:« Israël doit être rayé de la carte », selon le président iranien]]
[[it:Iran vuole la cancellazione di Israele 2005]]
[[pt:Presidente do Irão declara que Israel deveria ser varrida da face da Terra]]
Iranians plan a nation-wide demonstration on Friday in support of their president's comments that called for the elimination of Israel. The demonstrations would coincide with the annual event called al-Quds Day, where the Israeli control of Jerusalem is protested. 

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a speech to 3,000 students in Tehran said Wednesday there was, "no doubt the new wave of attacks in Palestine will soon wipe off this disgraceful blot from the face of the Islamic world." At a conference called "The World without Zionism", the recently elected Iranian president Ahmadinejad said the establishment of Israel was, "a move by the world oppressor against the Islamic world," a reference to Western military and political pressure.

Ahmadinejad won the presidency in June with a populist approach that stressed Islam and revolutionary principles. The speech cited numerous references to the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and included a declaration that, "As the imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map." 

Other similar remarks, such as "God willing, the eradication of Israel would soon be realized through the continued wisdom of the Palestinian nation," have drawn wide condemnation.

France and Germany have summoned the respective Iranian ambassadors to their countries. A spokesperson for the British government called the remarks "deeply disturbing and sickening". The European Union said in a joint statement that "calls for violence, and for the destruction of any state, are manifestly inconsistent with any claim to be a mature and responsible member of the international community".

Israeli Prime minister Ariel Sharon said that "a country that calls for the destruction of another people cannot be a member of the United Nations" and added: "Such a country that has nuclear weapons is a danger, not only to Israel and the Middle East, but also to Europe."

The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan expressed "dismay" over Ahmadinejad's remarks. In statements released by his secretary on Thursday, Annan, whose plans still include a visit to Iran within a month, said he would "place the Middle East peace process, and the right of all states in the area to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force, at the top of his agenda for that visit." The U.N. Charter calls on all members to refrain from threats or force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state.

A U.S. state department spokesman, Sean McCormick, said the United States would not support the call by Israel to eject Iran from the United Nations. McCormick's response was centered on issues of the enriched uranium processing in Iran, the human rights of its people, and alleged support for terrorism abroad.

The U.S. has had no formal diplomatic relations with Iran since the Islamic revolution of 1979. 

ca:El president de l'Iran declara que Israel hauria de ser esborrat de la Terra
es:Presidente de Irán declara que Israel debería ser borrado de la faz de la Tierra
fr:« Israël doit être rayé de la carte », selon le président iranien
it:Iran vuole la cancellazione di Israele 2005
Presidente do Irão declara que Israel deveria ser varrida da face da Terra
Politics and conflicts Iran Israel Middle East United Nations Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Kofi Annan Jerusalem Tehran Ariel Sharon