Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel - September 2012

September 2012

On 24 September 2012, during the opening week of the United Nations General Assembly, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ignored a warning by the United Nations to cease from harsh rhetoric and in reference to the founding of Israel in 1948, stated that Israel did not have any modern roots in the Middle East and would be "eliminated". He claimed that, historically, Israelis were "minimal disturbances that come into the picture and are then eliminated." His comments were condemned by the United States as "disgusting, offensive, and outrageous," and by Israel as proving that Ahmadinejad "not only threatens the future of the Jewish people, he seeks to erase our past. Three thousand years of Jewish history illustrate the clear danger of ignoring fanatics like Iran's president, especially as he inches closer to acquiring nuclear weapons."

In a speech to the United Nations on 26 September 2012, which some media said was notable for having "none of the usual dishevelled extremism" or "sabre rattling" that he is known for, Ahmadinejad called for a new world order not dominated by Western powers and condemned the continual threats of military action against Iran by "uncivilized Zionists." The United States, Israel, and Canada refused to attend during his speech. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu hinted Israel could strike Iran's nuclear sites and wrote an open letter to the Israeli public before leaving to address the United Nations, promising to deliver a response to Ahmadinejad's speech and Iran's desire to "sentence us to death."

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