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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Photo: Reuters

Ahmadinejad says Palestinians should decide on resolution to conflict

Iranian president says in interview with ABC any decision made by Palestinians regarding resolution of conflict with Israel should be respected

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad toned down his verbal attacks on Israel, saying in an interview with American television aired Tuesday that the Palestinians should be allowed to determine a resolution to the conflict with Israel.

 

Ahmadinejad's comments were the latest in which the hard-line leader has sought to show a relatively more moderate face toward the West, including over Iran's controversial nuclear program.

 

In the interview with ABC's "Good Morning America," Ahmadinejad was asked if he stuck by his past calls for Israel to be "wiped off the face of the map." Interviewer Diane Sawyer also asked whether Iran would recognize Israel if the Palestinians reach a peace deal with it. Ahmadinejad stopped short of addressing whether Iran would recognize Israel but said any decision the Palestinians make should be respected.

 

"We say that based on the charter of the UN, we say that based on the current international regulations, let Palestinians decide," Ahmadinejad said, according to ABC's translation of his Farsi comments.

 

He repeated a call he has previously made for a referendum among Palestinians and Israelis to determine the fate of the area. "I think that this is their right to determine their future, any decision made by Palestinians must be respected. And I think this is a very clear proposition," He said.

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.13.07, 19:02
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