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Britain joins walkout after Ahmadinejad's 'anti-semitic' rant
24.09.09
British diplomats walked out during a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over "anti-Semitic" remarks by the Iranian leader.
A spokeswoman for the UK delegation said the walk-out was prompted by "anti-Semitic" rhetoric.
Mr Ahmadinejad condemned Israel for what he said was a "barbaric" attack on the Gaza Strip last winter.
He also accused the West of hypocrisy, saying it preached democracy, but violated its fundamental principles.
In his speech, the Iranian President accused Israel of "inhuman policies" in the Palestinian territories.
Mark Kornblau, spokesman for the US Mission to the UN, said: "It is disappointing that Mr Ahmadinejad has once again chosen to espouse hateful, offensive and anti-Semitic rhetoric."
Mr Ahmadinejad also predicted that "expansionist capitalism" will meet the same fate as Marxism, accusing unnamed powers of "using the ugliest methods of intimidation and deceit under the mantle of freedom".
His address only made passing reference to the nuclear issue with a call for global nuclear disarmament.
Reader views (17)
The speech itself was not anti-semetic, but it was made by a known ardent semite (I use the term is its most used terms rather than describing the race which includes both Jews and Muslims of the region, Amir). His motives were almost certainly anti-semitic.
Mark, St Albans - they crack every nut with a sledge hammer - heads up, in combat you don't try to keep it all fair and equal. You set out to smash your opponent so that that particular opponent will not rise again. It is not a gentlemanly game of fisticuffs where two foes prance around each other posturing and making faces. It is about winning with as little cost to yourself while inflicting maximum damage upon the enemy as is possible.
All that's going on here is the usual anti-Israel trash talk by people who know nothing about military realities, care nothing about an entire nation that is under constant threat of annihilation from multiple neighbours, and who keep blaming that nation's responses to non-stop aggression on the victims of said aggression.
I know there's no getting through to you people, but it helps to vent once and a while over your mule headed and feed-the-flames vilification of a people who want only to be allowed to live in peace, if only their neighbours would let them. Aggression begets aggression - it's about time that the neighbours tried peace for real, rather than just as a period in which to re-arm.
- Rogan, Irving
Mark in St Albans - Israel sending in the jets at the drop of a hat? The Gaza war was the result of more than 10,000 rockets fired directly at cities over 8 years! What, I wonder would Britain do? Well, let's look at WW2 when cities in the UK were directly targeted and we responded by bombing Dresden to rubble with an estimated 250,000 civilian casualties in one night. Can you imagine the uproar if Israel did the same to Gaza City?
- Ces, london
Mark, St Albans
>>It really does seem to me that for every one dead Israeli it's 100 dead Palestinians.
So would you like to see an equal body count? There are more Palestinian casualties because HAMAS launches rocket attacks from within civilian areas, knowing full well that retaliation will cause more Palestinian deaths. They have even killed their own when their rockets fall short of an Israeli target.
Operation Cast Lead was carried out because HAMAS refused to renew the cease fire. Over the last 8 years more than 10,000 rockets have been launched at Sderot and southern Israeli cities with the sole objective of murdering Israelis.
Israel has every right to defend itself in anyway they see fit against an enemy with the goals of HAMAS.
- Adam, Harrow, UK
@ Frank
Why so condescending? Isobel and other's are correct in saying that their is nothing anti-semetic in the specific comments quoted in this report.
Mark, good comments.
- Rob, London
Peter, if that is the case, why do they crack every nut with a sledge hammer?
I'm not condoning violence from either side but it seems like Israel sends in the jet bombers at the drop of a hat.
It really does seem to me that for every one dead Israeli it's 100 dead Palestinians.
The leaders on both sides are a disgrace to the people they represent and all need to be kicked out of office to bring in people who will work hard for peace.
- Mark, St Albans
Mr Ahmadinejad's criticism of Israel“s attack on the Gaza Strip does not make him anti-semitic. The Israelis are far too sensitive on this point. There is a sizeable Jewish population in Iran today and they are protected in the Iranian Constitution.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands
Amir, London
>>Israel is doing to Palestinians, what Hitler did to the Jews
You sure about that? Israeli death squads roaming around shooting Palestinians? Death camps? Palestinians going up in smoke by the millions? If there was any shred of evidence then there'd be no Palestinians by now.
I think you will find more Muslims have died at the hands of their fellow Muslim than have perished in the I/P conflict.
It's all too easy for anti-Semites to equate Israel with Nazi Germany. Nothing could be further from the truth.
- Peter, Harrow, UK
Was what he said too awful for our innocent ears to be reported? Or was he just attacking Israel's actions (for whatever motives)? Quite a lot of Israelis do that as well, and I don't think that they're anti-Semitic.
- Mdj E10, london uk
Why are they always so hostile and negative. He is supposed to be a President - is he not interested in solving international problems and trying to bring about fundamental changes. It is very easy to go on and on about the ills of the world, it is a far harder task to put forward positive, workable strategies for peace. If he is saying that the West does not uphold the fundamental principles of democracy is he implying that Iran is an example of a democratic country? I think not.
- Patricia, LONDON
He also accused the West of hypocrisy, saying it preached democracy, but violated its fundamental principles.
Well he certainly told us the truth on that note anyway, we should practice what we preach in the West.
- P Staker, Londonistan.
I have to agree with Isabel.
Ahmadinejad is vile creature and a fool at best but judging by the article, he's just stating the obvious.
Israel is doing to Palestinians, what Hitler did to the Jews.
also, you'll find Arabs are also Semites and the term anti-Semitic can not be applied to only Jews or Arabs individually.
- Amir, Lonodn
Ha! Who the hell are we to suddenly have morals?
- Steve, London
@ Isabel, Woking
Jesus 'luv are you serious?
There are some very naive people with the vote in this country.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
"Diplomats" seems a rather overblown term to use to describe these silly men. I don't appreciate being represented by "diplomats" who flounce out in an I"m-not-speaking-to-you sort of way like a lot of teenage girlies. They're supposed to be representing our country not making us look fools by acting like drama queens sticking their fingers in their ears..
- Desperate Dan, Cactusville, UK
From this article alone I can't see anything particularly anti-semitic - he's bitterly criticising Israel but since when did Israel become so precious that criticism of their policies automatically becomes anti-semitism? He must have said more stuff that hasn't been published.
- Isabel, Woking
what did you expect from this idiot and cheat just ask any one in iran to have the thuth
- Av, london.uk
Allow the village idiot the chance of speaking and he won't disappoint with his idiotic rantings. Anyone on the left wish to claim that he has been 'misinterpreted' this time?
- Peter, Harrow, UK
