This is the official translation of Ahmadinejad remarks on Reuters:
But not recognising the Israeli state and calling for it to be wiped off the map is not in itself anti-semitic or genocidal. Israel should indeed be replaced with a Palestinian secular state for Jews and Arabs.
Having said that, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad does the cause of Palestinian liberation movement no favours by giving the West and Israel a pretext to destroy this UN conference on racism.
More quotes from the speech (BBC):
Undoubtedly the western powers used the Holocaust, to which they were all party, as a pretext for creating Israel, but the phrase 'pretext of Jewish suffering' does have a dismissive tone to it and could even imply that the suffering never took place. And there is no denying the attempts by the Iranian leader in the past to deny the Holocaust."Following World War II they resorted to military aggressions to make an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering," Ahmadinejad told the conference, on the day that Jewish communities commemorate the Holocaust.
"And they sent migrants from Europe, the United States and mother parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in the occupied Palestine," he said, according to the official translation.
"And in fact, in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine."
But not recognising the Israeli state and calling for it to be wiped off the map is not in itself anti-semitic or genocidal. Israel should indeed be replaced with a Palestinian secular state for Jews and Arabs.
Having said that, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad does the cause of Palestinian liberation movement no favours by giving the West and Israel a pretext to destroy this UN conference on racism.
More quotes from the speech (BBC):
The victorious powers [of the world wars] call themselves the conquerors of the world, while ignoring or down-treading the rights of other nations by the imposition of oppressive laws and international arrangements.The west can't stand to hear some home truths on Zionism.
Following World War Two, they resorted to making an entire nation homeless on the pretext of Jewish suffering. They sent migrants from Europe, the United States and other parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in the occupied Palestine. In compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive, racist regime in Palestine.
It is all the more regrettable that a number of Western governments and the United States have committed themselves to defending those racist perpetrators of genocide, whilst the awakened consciences and free-minded people of the world condemn aggression, brutality and the bombardment of civilians of Gaza.
[Conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan were] a clear example of egocentrism, racism, discrimination or infringement upon the dignity and independence of nations.
Today, the human community is facing a kind of racism which has tarnished the image of humanity. In the beginning of the third millennium, the word Zionism personifies racism, that falsely resorts to religion and abuses religious sentiments to hide hatred.
Efforts must be made to put an end to the abuse by Zionists and their supporters of political and international means... Governments must be encouraged and supported in the fight aimed at eradicating this barbaric racism and moving towards reforming the current international mechanisms.
You are all aware of the conspiracy of some powers and Zionist circles against the goals and objectives of this conference... It should be recognised that boycotting such a session is a true indication of supporting the blatant example of racism.
Interesting report from one of the Geneva delegates here.
ReplyDeleteThis walkout only demonstrates that nothing has changed and that the western nations still continue to support unconditionnally Israel whatever it does and whatever it's war crimes. This can only lead to more suffering, more crimes and more wars. Shame on us.
ReplyDeleteBernard