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Iran wants to destroy Israel - so what else is new?

10/27/2005

All the world is in a surprising uproar because Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Israel should be wiped off the map. The EU condemned the statement, Israeli leaders called for expelling Iran from the UN.

All this ado is a bit surprising. If Ahmadinejad had said that Iran wants to live in peace with Israel, the remarks would understandably make headlines. However, in this case, Ahmadinejad was only repeating Iranian state policy. After all, the remarks were made at a conference entitled "A World Without Zionism." What exactly, did people think that conference might be about, if not about destroying Israel?

Iran writes "Death to Israel" and "Death to the United States" on missiles exhibited on parade. Iranian MPs have supposedly boasted that they would use their nuclear weapons to destroy Israel. "Islam would survive the retaliation, but Israel will be gone forever." Iran insists that they are developing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, because they are running out of fossil fuels. Didn't it occur to anyone to wonder why it is so urgent for a country with huge natural gas and oil reserves to develop alternative energy technology?

So what did Ahmadinejad tell us that we did not already know? Nothing, it seems. However, he discused out loud a fact that almost everyone was trying to sweep under the rug. All the proponents of engagement and accomodation with Iran work overtime to make people forget the nature of the Iranian regime, and the earnest commitment of that regime to the destruction of "the Great Satan" (USA) and "the Little Satan" (Israel). Ahmadinejad went and spoiled it all by saying something silly like the truth.

Some may quiet themselves with the claim that this is just campaign rhetoric, and that Ahmadinejad doesn't really mean what he says. We should have more respect for Mr Ahmadinejad. He is a religious man. We can be sure that when he says Israel should be destroyed, he means what he says.

My father taught me that honesty is the best policy. He forgot to add, "except in international diplomacy, politics, love and business."

Ami Isseroff

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Original text copyright by the author and MidEastWeb for Coexistence, RA. Posted at MidEastWeb Middle East Web Log at http://www.mideastweb.org/log/archives/00000400.htm where your intelligent and constructive comments are welcome. Distributed by MEW Newslist. Subscribe by e-mail to mew-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Please forward by email with this notice and link to and cite this article. Other uses by permission.

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Replies: 7 comments

The world uproar about this, is what is new.
And it is a good thing, but is it enough to stop from using the bomb? The A bomb that is.

Posted by Dvar Dea @ 10/28/2005 09:23 AM CST

Good article. One with common sense for change. With Bush and Sharon unable to solve the problem with diplomacy only one option is open. But again what else is new.

Posted by ron bryan @ 10/28/2005 11:45 PM CST

There is a widespread Islamist fanaticism that is spreading like a cancer in certain countries of the Middle East. Many Arab states are showing signs of pragmatism in recognizing Israel’s right to exist. Apart from lunatic Islamist fringes in some countries such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Islamic Jihad and Hamas in the Palestinian Camp, Al Qaeda, whose origins seem to be in many Arab countries of undefined boundaries, as well as many splinter extremist Islamist groups too numerous to mention . Beneath it all is a member state of the United Nations – Iran under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - which seems to be the most vociferous country of all in its official attitude towards the destruction of Israel.

Ahmadinejad’s remarks are abominable, irresponsible and unjustifiable. A member country of the UN coming out with such invective against a member state is enough grist to the mill for member countries to vote for its expulsion from the UN body. Ahmadinejad’s remarks are so unacceptable that a strong response towards Israel’s defense by fellow UN members was quick in coming.

Naturally, these remarks will soon be forgotten and the storm in the teacup will pass. It will be back to business as usual in the UN. It is highly unlikely that any action will be taken against Iran despite Israel’s justified lobbying for Iran’s expulsion from the UN.

This is a great shame and brings no credit to the UN. Another rather interesting phenomenon is that none of the member Arab States condemned Ahmadinejad’s despicable remarks. This could be due to one of two reasons:

1. A passive support for these remarks stated what many Arab States feel.

2. Fear of Iranian terrorist infiltration into their countries because of their “so-called support for Israel” in Iranian eyes.

What is interesting and noteworthy is the responsible statement condemning Ahmadinejad coming from Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian negotiator who said:
"What we need to be talking about is adding the state of Palestine to the map and not wiping Israel from the map," he told the BBC News website. “Palestinians recognize the right of the state of Israel to exist and I reject his (Ahmadinejad,s) comments.”

He is to be praised for his level headed remarks. This is more than can be said of many of the Arab states.

It is a black day for freedom loving peoples all over the world when a member state of the UN comes up with racist and abominable remarks against a fellow state in the UN. If no disciplinary action is taken against the leadership of Iran in the UN, apart from sterile verbal condemnation, a precedent could be started legitimizing statements calling for the destruction of Israel from the podium of the world body.

Iran has made a counter statement that it abides by the UN Charter and has no intention of committing aggression against member states. Perhaps this is some form of apologetic backtracking as a result of the reactions caused?

Posted by Shimon Z. Klein @ 10/29/2005 09:11 PM CST

I have to say that my reaction to the strident demand to wipe-out Israel was a resounding "so what!", and to think little more about it. It was typical of the vain glorious drivel that leaders of oppressive nations frequently come out with.
There is however another and large element of the "destroy Israel" constituency that is afar more insidious. This is the "reasonable" left / right wing groups that promote the creation of a single state in which the Palestinians will be dominant. Their arguments are put forward, cloaked with rationality and fairness, with the sole object of achieving the same outcome that the Iran leadership seek.
This constituency proposes that Palestine should be created out of the West Bank, Gaza and Israel. Naturally the Palestinians will be the dominant group, and to make sure they are, any Jew whose ancestors were not in the territory defined by the Mandate in 1917 lose their rights to citizenship. Of course the same criteria is not applied to Christians or Muslims, they must be by default Palestinians.
This "single state" constituency is surprisingly silent on the means to achieve this single state. Silent because the means to cause Israel's disappearance in the face of Israeli will to exist can only come through economic collapse or war. Economic collapse through isolation and sanctions. War by using the forces of the EU to engage and destroy the IDF. The latter is dangerous and the "destroy Israel" constituency know that there is no chance of it occurring, the IDF is too effective. However the former is the approach they favour. Isolation and sanctions can be initiated at a low level and progressively escalated as its achieves its incremental targets. Israel is also highly vulnerable to sanctions.
The world leaders are frightened of the Iranian presidents statements because of Iran's nuclear programme, and so they condemn the statements. However happily associate with those that seek Israel's destruction by other means.

Posted by Rod Davies @ 10/31/2005 10:48 AM CST

To Mr. Shimon Z Klein. Thank you for your little speech to defend your country. But where is the condemnation of your closest "ally" (if not anything else), the US, also a UN-member, and the unjustified bloodshed caused by them in Iraq (as well as dozens of other countries over the years)?

Surely you don't wanna go there. Surely we know why.

Posted by MP @ 11/02/2005 05:36 AM CST

sir,
the outragoeus filth let out by irani president is a matrer of opinion and not necessariy universal. but as other populist diatribe can get wide circulation and some support from the downtrodden who would supprt anyone who would be seen as supprting their bigotry regardless of truth. it is not a sence of truth but rather a fantasy escape from the everyday chaos and desolation faces ythe majority poor and thus willing to acept rubbish as they need to blame someone and went out frustration in theonly public way they can.
given true freedom and power the public would tnot support such nonsence but rather is a sign of shackles and lack of freedom and economic future

Posted by moiz esufally @ 11/07/2005 12:10 PM CST

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE SHIITES FROM IRAN HAVE SO HATE AGAINST ISRAEL AND JEWISH PEOPLE. MY PERSONNAL OPINION IS THAT THEY ARE CRAZY BY RELIGIOUS FANATISMO A NEW KIND OF MADNESS THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN.

Posted by MARK ANTHONY @ 01/05/2006 05:29 AM CST


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