That last quote is classic.. I would find it harder to believe that the world would actually hold him and his counrty to account.

The UN seems to share Iran's view. http://www.eyeontheun.org/view.asp?l=21&p=142#02point. The UN has become a cesspool of every tin-pot regime in the world. The US and Israel, along with other like-minded Countries, need to scrap the UN and start over. http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/

This assumption that the rest of the world is just plain naive gets on my nerves. And all these calls for sanction and banishment based on one "wiped off the map" (which has been translated several different ways) comment is probably furthering incitement. Ahmadinejad is just a pompous loudmouth whose ego is probably being inflated by all the politicians and lawyers calling him Jr. Hitler.

That's exactly what they said about Hitler in 1937. Rhetoric aside, Ahmadinejad's intent is of serious concern: to establish Shiite hegemony in the Middle East. It is logical for history to repeat itself, and dangerous when those who should know better dismiss the implicit existential threats as just the rantings of a madman.

I'm sorry for the length of this post. I know I hate when people do cut and pastes, but I just wanted to let you see this. I work for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, and I did part of the research for this lawsuit. These are some of the comments made by yours truly, Ahmadinejad. As you can see, it's a lot more than just one... “They have no boundaries, limits, or taboos when it comes to killing human beings. Who are they? Where did they come from? Are they human beings? 'They are like cattle, nay, more misguided.' A bunch of bloodthirsty barbarians. Next to them, all the criminals of the world seem righteous.” “They should know that they are nearing the last days of their lives.” “As I have said before, as far as several aggressive European governments are concerned, and as far as the Great Satan [the U.S.] is concerned, it is permissible to harm the honor of the divine prophets, but it is a crime to ask questions about the myth of the Holocaust, and about how the false regime occupying Palestine came into being.” “Very soon, this stain of disgrace [i.e. Israel] will be purged from the center of the Islamic world – and this is attainable.” “I hope that the Palestinians will maintain their wariness and intelligence, much as they have pursued their battles in the past 10 years. This will be a short period, and if we pass through it successfully, the process of the elimination of the Zionist regime will be smooth and simple.” “'Oh dear people, look at this global arena. By whom are we confronted? We have to understand the depth of the disgrace of the enemy, until our holy hatred expands continuously and strikes like a wave.'” “We want art that is on the offensive. Art on the offensive exalts and defends the noble principles, and attacks principles that are corrupt, vulgar, ungodly, and inhuman.” “Art reaches perfection when it portrays the best life and best death. After all, art tells you how to live. That is the essence of art. Is there art that is more beautiful, more divine, and more eternal than the art of martyrdom? A nation with martyrdom knows no captivity. Those who wish to undermine this principle undermine the foundations of our independence and national security. They undermine the foundation of our eternity.” “He also warned the "great powers" against supporting the "crimes of the Zionist regime... [since] the continuation of these crimes and of the support [for them] will fan the flames of Muslim rage, which will annihilate them all.” “Today, it has been proven that the Zionists are not opposed only to Islam and the Muslims. They are opposed to humanity as a whole. They want to dominate the entire world. They would even sacrifice the Western regimes for their own sake. I have said in Tehran, and I say it again here - I say to the leaders of some Western countries: Stop supporting these corrupt people. Behold, the rage of the Muslim peoples is accumulating. The rage of the Muslim peoples may soon reach the point of explosion. If that day comes, they must know that the waves of this explosion will not be restricted to the boundaries of our region. They will definitely reach the corrupt forces that support this fake regime.” “As the Imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map.” “Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, declared Sunday that Israel had “pushed the button of its own destruction.” “Arrogant powers have set up a base for themselves to threaten and plunder nations in the region," said Ahmadinejad. "But today, the occupier regime (Israel) - whose philosophy is based on threats, massacre and invasion - has reached its finishing line.” “There is no doubt that the new wave of attacks in Palestine will erase this stain from the face of Islam.”

Those were just the comments made by the president of Iran. This does not include the countless anti-Semitic incitements to genocide made by other top Iranian officials. Face the truth Jack, doesn't this remind you of the rising German dictator of the 1930's? If you answered yes, how can you still brush these comments off and blame them on ego? How can you say that Ahmadinejad is simply a loudmouth? These words have deep beliefs behind them. They are not just hollow statements. If we ignore history, we are bound to repeat it.

elie wiesel, you are doing nothing for world peace improvement!

Wiesel? Isn't he this guy whose parents preferred to follow the wehrmacht instead of waiting their concentration camp to be liberated by the Soviets?

All the arguments in this article make logical sence, except one. "It is necessary to do everything to prevent the president of Iran from fulfilling his plans, which pose a real threat to humanity." Jews are part of humanity, but not all of humanity. A single specific group of people is not "Humanity". Threrfore if Isreal is wiped off by Iran (if that is even possible) it is not humanity that is at threat, it is Isreal that is at threat, and not even Jews as they are all over the world even in China. The bird blue is a threat to Humanity as it can affect every human on this planet without exception. The president of Iran is not, as he is not aming at humanity, just at one country. On the other hand it is understandable that this kind of language is used to try to drum up support for Isreal, but it's inacurate. Humanity is not at risk. Just like an earthquake if it were to slide Isreal into the Mediteranian is not a threat to humanity, just a threat to Isreal as are the comments of Iran's president.

It is painfully obvious that you have never read Wiesel's book "Night." His mother never made it past the first day in the camp, but was gassed along with his little 7 year old sister. His father died just as the Soviets were arriving. I guess you're too busy burning tires in Paris and torching cars to read great literature. What Elie Wiesel went through along with 5,999,999 million other Jews I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, even ignorant scum like you whose opinions don't count for s--t!

Your analysis is short-sighted and lacks historical perspective. Do you honestly think that Ahmadinejad would stop himself from taking over the rest of Middle East if he succeeded in destroying Israel? Do you really think that that is his sole motivation? Have you been reading about his buddy Mr. Chavez and do you know how axis powers align themselves to gain power across the globe? Germany and Japan are nowhere near each other geographically, yet they aligned to threaten the Northern Hemisphere during WW2. Your proposal that the words "threat to humanity" are exaggerated to garner support for Israel is a laughable and unconvincing argument at best. Your comments prove you are an easy target for the Islamic propaganda machine. You need to be better educated about current political trends before you engage in debates about history and political science. Too bad all that freedom of expression you enjoy in Canada is wasted on you when you cannot use it to reflect on anything other than what you hear on Al-Jazeera.

If anyone should be expelled from the UN, it's Israel! The United Nations has passed more resolutions condemning Israel than against all other nations put together including Iraq! Of the 175 resolutions of the UN Security Council, 97 were against Israel!

half of the countries that are part of the UN have their own human rights problems. Kind of makes the UN irrelevant. This ceasefire is a joke.. laughable. And Hizbullah still in power. Power to Israel do your own thing make your destiny, the UN will not help you anyways.

It is pitiful that the Holocaust and genocide are today being used as political tools. George Bush uses Darfur to conceal the ongoing 40 year genocide in West Papua which even the Yale University Law School agreed is true genocide. Companies like Bechtel Inc. profit by doing business with jihadist militia across Indonesia and fund Mr Bush's political campaigns with that money, now Bechtel gets a nice reward in Iraq. The US Congress at least tried to oppose Bechtel by drafting Section 1115 to try and stop the colonial genocide in West Papua; it is a SHAME that neither Israel nor the US public have yet decided to stand up and say "Never Again" and mean it.

Do you honestly believe that, were Iran to destroy Israel, no one or nothing else would be affected? You don't believe that, were this to happen, the United States, Britain, and other possible allies would jump in, the Middle East would explode and the whole world would be at war? You obviously know absolutely nothing of history prior to the day of your birth. World War I was begun over the assassination of just one person, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand. Fool! Are you blind or just plain stupid?

You have no clue what you're talking about.

It's terribly concerning while the U.N. has an obligation to uphold international laws that they are either involved or simply not concerned of the statements of the Irianian President should not be taken with more concern. I personaly believe that it is God's will that these things are to pass and the final solution will be clear in the end. Let it be known as a believer in the scripture's I look forward to the time that the actions of the '' wicked " are known to every soul . In the meantime " May GOD have mercy on your souls" but when the day comes for the world to take the un-speakable acts that will fall on the Iranian regime, I as a defender of all that is good on this planet will show NO MERCY towards the likes of which decieded that God's chosen people and his land take a back seat to Wickedness.

Israel and its supporters have been on a defensive posture for far too long. It's time the dictators, thugs, and militants were put into the dock. Let *them* try to defend their aggressive behavior for a change. Let *them* fear to step off a plane in the EU or anywhere else. If the ICJ and the UN choose to continue as the moral reprobates they are, they deserve to be shut down and dismantled.

Why does the rest of the world who seems to have some sense of right and wrong stand by and allow terrorist, murders, deceivers even touch ground on the USA. Perhaps we should move the UN to Brussels, so EU can kiss their behinds and smile at them, and compromise until the Muslims plot Europe's demise? The USA can say, "good ridance to bad trash?"

elie wiesel is a brave man and a clear thinker. i for one will be proud to stand outside the UN in support of this protest. why are jews themselves silent? he is leading the way; let us follow.

Andrew raises the issue of why Israel and the US aquiesce in the slow genocide and closed prison-state being operated in West papua, while its traditional peoples suffer the opposite of peace and development. Israel - and Australia - are guilty as uncritical US allies of the legacy of its kleptocracies...

It's hard to believe that Elie Weisel is upset about anything to do with Iran. Several years ago, after the earthquake in Bam Iran, American Jewish World Service, an organization with which he is supposedly involved, and perhaps helped to found, donated millions of dollars to the victims. Even at that time Iran was calling for the destruction of Israel. So, what's new and why has he changed his tune? That is just as confusing as why that very same organization that gave the donation to Iran, won't help to feed needy Israeli children.