New York, NY, August 2, 2012 … President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call for the annihilation of Israel is "ominous" in light of Iran's continuing march toward nuclear weapons, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said today after the Iranian leader excoriated American candidates and elected officials for "kissing the feet of the Zionists" while meeting with their counterparts in Israel.
As released by the Iranian official news media, the Iranian president addressed ambassadors of Islamic countries in advance of al-Quds ("Jerusalem") Day on August 17. He repeated his past allegations of a worldwide "Zionist" conspiracy to dominate governments, banking, media and other "power circles" and zeroed in on the U.S. presidential campaign, accusing Republican candidate Mitt Romney of going to "kiss the feet" of the Zionists.
"So much for all the people who have been trying to make excuses and say, 'he doesn't really mean it.' This is Ahmadinejad's most comprehensive anti-Semitic speech yet," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "These remarks, filled with anti-Semitism and expressions of contempt for Israel and its leaders, are a hallmark of the hate filled and irrational nature of the Iranian regime."
Particularly significant is Ahmadinejad's blatant use of the term "Zionist" to mean Jews, not Israel. Mr. Foxman said, "In his bluntness, Ahmadinejad cuts through the false dichotomy of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism when he uses the term "Zionist" to describe alleged Jewish control of the world for 400 years."
Mr. Foxman added, "Despite having heard such words before from the likes of Ahmadinejad, they have more ominous overtones and should be taken seriously as the Iranian regime continues on its march toward a nuclear weapon."
The following are key statements from the Iranian president's remarks in Tehran:
Calling for the annihilation of Israel:
- "The Quds Day is not merely a strategic solution for the Palestinian problem, as it is to be viewed as a key for solving the world problems; any freedom lover and justice seeker in the world must do its best for the annihilation of the Zionist regime in order to pave the path for the establishment of justice and freedom in the world."
Alleging Jewish/Zionist domination of the U.S. presidential campaign:
- "…the presidential election hopefuls must go kiss the feet of the Zionists to ensure their victory in the election….If the people's votes really counts in those countries, why then a candidate must go to kiss the feet of a clandestine Zionist minority, sacrificing the entire prestige, chanted mottoes, and values of their system before the Zionists, and justifying the entire criminal acts of that regime?"
On the Jewish/Zionist domination of the world:
- "It has now been some 400 years that a horrendous Zionist clan has been ruling the major world affairs, and behind the scenes of the major power circles, in political, media, monetary, and banking organizations in the world, they have been the decision makers, to an extent that a big power with a huge economy and over 300 million population, the presidential election hopefuls must go kiss the feet of the Zionists to ensure their victory in the elections."
- "The Zionist regime is both the symbol of the hegemony of the Zionism over the world and the means in the hand of the oppressor powers for expansion of their hegemony in the region and in the world."
- "The Zionist that has resorting to lies and phony promises attracted a group into their lands from around the world in order to expand their hegemony over the regional nations taking advantage of their presence are now mistreating them."
- "Zionism is the modern times plight of the human society and when we meet the European politicians they say speak transparently about everything, but they refrain from talking about the Zionist regime, which proves that Israel is the axis of unity of the world hegemonic powers."