Ahmadinejad: Referendum on transfer of Israel to Europe
Iranian leader says during Jerusalem Day rally in Tehran, 'Let a referendum be held in Palestine on the transfer of Zionists to Europe, Canada or Alaska.' Adds: Israel committed crimes under pretext of the Holocaust
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad condemned "the atrocities of the Zionist regime against the oppressed Palestinian people," the IRNA news agency reported Friday.
According to the regime's mouthpiece, the president suggested holding a referendum on the transfer of Israel's Jews to Europe, Canada or Alaska.
"Let a referendum be held in Palestine. It is our clear proposal to European countries," Ahmadinejad said during the International Quds (Jerusalem) Day rallies in Tehran.
"Let all Palestinians including Muslims, Christians and the Jews attend the referendum," he added.
IRNA said Ahmadinejad repeated an earlier suggestion to Europe on the "settlement of Zionists in Europe or in big lands such as Canada and Alaska so they would be able to own their own land".
Ahmadinejad further stated that "the creation of the Zionist regime, the continuation of its existence and unlimited support for the regime (by the US) are an insult to human dignity."
"Defense for the ominous interests of the Zionist regime is a must for certain powers. Western governments who are pioneers of secularism pursue defense for the Zionist regime as the holiest task in the world," the president was quoted as saying.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Photo: Reuters)
"Nations should be allowed to conduct research on crimes of the Zionist regime and decode the black box for its atrocities," he added. ""The Palestinian youth and nation have been deprived of all human rights for more than 60 years. Today, Quds is not an issue only related to Palestine and the Middle East but a case of world humanity."
The president continued to say that Western nations have turned the Holocaust into a "holy issue and do not let anybody raise any question about it.
"(These events took place in the World War II. Later, they (Israel) committed a historical genocide in Palestine. They ratified unlimited and holy rights for themselves and introduced all nations as criminals," he said.
"They allowed themselves to commit whatever crimes under pretext of the Holocaust. They even built secret prisons in Europe... and attacked and imposed economic sanctions against a nation that did not officially recognize the Zionist regime."
Ahmadinejad concluded by saying that "the world should know that the Iranian nation hates massacre(s). It regards agents of the World War II and Hitler as dark and black faces."
Israeli MKs from across the political spectrum responded angrily to Ahmadinejad's remarks.
Likud leader MK Benjamin Netanyahu said that Ahmadinejad "is not only a Holocaust denier but also a denier of the link between the people of Israel and its land, which is thousands of years old."
"He is threatening and putting us in an absurd situation between exile and annihilation," Netanyahu said.
"Most world leaders are convinced that the Iranian regime, which is determined to acquire weapons of mass destruction, poses a serious threat to world peace," Kadima MK Tzachi Hanegbi said. "The United States and leading European countries should urgently convene the Security Council to adopt a resolution that imposes more sanctions on Iran."
Meretz MK Yossi Beilin said Ahmadinejad was "mentally ill" and "dangerous to the world and his people."
"We need to organize a coalition of sane people in the world in order to help the Iranian people to get rid of him," Beilin added.
Likud MK Yisrael Katz said Ahmadinejad was "a fool and dangerous dog who is threatening to wipe out the State of Israel and he should be destroyed like a fool dog."
"The State of Israel has to declare that it will do all to prevent Iran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and that should Iran harm Israel in any way, whole areas in Iran will be completely wiped out and the Iranian people who is responsible for electing Ahmadinejad will pay the price," Katz said.
