perceived anti-Semitic views, suggested Saturday, January 14, that Jews should leave Israel.
Ahmadinejad’s remarks followed his previous statements that the Holocaust was "a myth" and that Israel should be "wiped out of the map."
Although Tehran claimed these comments had been "distorted and misinterpreted," by the Western world, the president expressed similar views during a rare press conference with international media in Tehran Saturday, January 14.
"Under the pretext of the Holocaust, you are occupiers" he said. "Let the people who came as immigrants return to their homelands," Ahmadinejad added. He denied his Islamic nation had an intention of building nuclear weapons amid rising international concern that Iran’s uranium enrichment research is a front for developing atomic bombs.
"Our nation doesn’t need nuclear weapons," Ahmadinejad said. "You can use nuclear technology in several ways, and we want to do so peacefully."
THREAT
United States President George Bush warned Friday, January 13, that if Iran goes forward with its nuclear program, it might pose a "grave threat to the security of the world."
He spoke after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House and commentators said he used the same language before launching the American attack against Iraq.
Israel, which sees Iran as one of its biggest threats, has urged the international community to threaten Iran with sanctions if it doesn’t abandon its nuclear ambitions. The Israeli government said it remains hopeful that diplomacy can end the crisis, but warned a military strike led by others against Iranian nuclear facilities may be necessary.
SHARON
Last month, before his stroke, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reportedly stressed that Israel wouldn’t lead the fight against the Islamic state’s nuclear program. Israeli jets attacked Iraq’s unfinished nuclear reactor over two decades ago in a lightning strike.
But military experts have say a similar air strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be more difficult, because facilities are believed to be dispersed and some are hidden underground. The tension comes as Israel prepares for an era without Sharon, who so far failed to recover from a coma, following a massive stroke.
Evangelical Christians and organizations, including the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) urged supporters to pray for Sharon, his family and Israel. (With reports from Tehran, Jerusalem and Washington and BosNewsLife’s Stefan J. Bos).
