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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (AP file)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners December 8, 2005 |
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Israeli officials condemned on Thursday Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call for Israel to be moved to Europe so the West can make amends for the Holocaust as "outrageous and even racist."
Israel and Iran are sworn enemies and Ahmadinejad's recent remarks saying that Israel should be wiped off the map, combined with Israel's belief that Tehran's nuclear activities are aimed at producing nuclear warheads, have increased tension between the countries.
Iran's hardline president, who recently called for Israel to be "wiped off the map," spoke at an Islamic summit in the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
His comments, reported by the official IRNA news agency from a news conference he gave in the Saudia Arabian city of Mecca, follow his call in October for Israel to be "wiped off the map," which sparked widespread international condemnation.
"Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces and they insist on it to the extent that if anyone proves something contrary to that they condemn that person and throw them in jail," the official Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
"Although we don't accept this claim, if we suppose it is true, our question for 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 in Europe -- 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," he added.
"Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the president of Iran has made outrageous and even racist remarks concerning Jews and Israel," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.
"Only recently the U.N. General Assembly condemned Holocaust denial and here the Iranian leader is showing himself to be fundamentally contradicting the norms of international behavior and decency," he added. "I hope that anyone who had illusions about the true nature of the Iranian regime has received these recent remarks as a wake-up call."
The EU on Thursday condemned the remarks. "The comments attributed to President Ahmadinejad are wholly unacceptable," said British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on behalf of the 25-nation European Union. "They have no place in civilized political debate," Straw said.
"Iran is unique in opposing a resolution to the Arab-Israel dispute based on the principle of two states living side-by-side in peace and security," Straw said. "I urge all states to support that vision, and Iran to cease its support to groups who want to undermine it through violence," he added.
The AP contributed to this report.
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