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Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and PM Ehud Olmert attending a ceremony to honor donors at Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem on Oct. 27. (AP) Last update - 10:11 14/11/2006 Netanyahu: It's 1938 and Iran is Germany; Ahmadinejad is preparing another Holocaust By Peter Hirschberg, Haaretz Correspondent LOS ANGELES - Drawing a direct analogy between Iran and Nazi Germany, Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu asserted Monday that the Iranian nuclear program posed a threat not only to Israel, but to the entire western world. There was "still time," however, to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, he said. "It's 1938 and Iran is Germany. And Iran is racing to arm itself with atomic bombs," Netanyahu told delegates to the annual United Jewish Communities General Assembly, repeating the line several times, like a chorus, during his address. "Believe him and stop him," the opposition leader said of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "This is what we must do. Everything else pales before this." While the Iranian president "denies the Holocaust," Netanyahu said, "he is preparing another Holocaust for the Jewish state." Advertisement Speaking on Army Radio on Tuesday, Netanyahu hinted that Israel possesses the military capabilities necessary for curbing by itself the Iranian nuclear threat, declining to specify what these entail. The Likud chairman said "I don't want to analyze the capability required to eliminate [the Iranian] threat, but this capability exists," when told by host Razi Barkai that Israel lacks the ability to eliminate Tehran's nuclear program by military means. "This capability is eroded over time, and if we wait years then obviously this capability would not exist anymore ... but right now I disagree with the claim that nothing can be done against Iran," he added. When asked if Bush could afford embarking on another "military adventure" after Iraq, Netanyahu said acting on the Iranian nuclear program would not be adventurous but necessary. "... Israel would certainly be the first stop on Iran's tour of destruction, but at the planned production rate of 25 nuclear bombs a year ... [the arsenal] will be directed against 'the big Satan,' the U.S., and the 'moderate Satan,' Europe," Netanyahu said. "Iran is developing ballistic missiles that would reach America, and now they prepare missiles with an adequate range to cover the whole of Europe," he added. "No one cared" Criticizing the international community in his GA speech for not acting more forcefully in trying to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power - "No one cared then and no one seems to care now," he said, again drawing on the Nazi parallel - Netanyahu warned that Tehran's nuclear and missile program "goes way beyond the destruction of Israel - it is directed to achieve world-wide range. It's a global program in the service of a mad ideology." Large sections of the international community, he said, also misunderstood the nature of radical Islam and its role in the Mideast conflict. "What happens in Iran affects what happens in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not the other way round," he said. Netanyahu said he believed that Iran could still be stopped from acquiring nuclear weapons. "There is still time. All ways must be considered. We can't let this thing happen," he said, but did not outline specific measures he thought should be taken. Referring to Israel's preemptive strike in the 1967 War, he did say that stopping Iran required "preemptive leadership. Preemption requires will and vision." "Noone will defend the Jews if the Jews don't defend themselves," he said to loud applause. "Iran's nuclear ambitions have to be stopped. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Stronger than its ills The 60th anniversary celebrations are accompanied by a bad taste. Rise in racism Israeli Arabs say institutionalized racism has increased.   1.   Come back in about 10 years 05:43  |  Natallie Durson 14/11/06   2.   Netanyahu 06:23  |  Mr. X 14/11/06   3.   crybaby 06:48  |  sam i am 14/11/06   4.   Whats the cry about nukes? 07:00  |  Gregg 14/11/06   5.   iran 07:26  |  sam 14/11/06   6.   stop using the term holocaust at will 07:34  |  Rose 14/11/06   7.   netanyahu and iran 07:56  |  NATHAN FRIEDMAN 14/11/06   8.   "It`s 1938 and Iran is Germany." 08:05  |  Rowan Berkeley 14/11/06   9.   Move on 08:11  |  Bader S 14/11/06   10.   netanyahu and iran 08:40  |  sam 14/11/06   11.   Re: #3 Cry out loud!!! 08:44  |  Angel 14/11/06   12.   Let me get this straight 08:46  |  YMS 14/11/06   13.   It`s 1938 and Iran is Germany 08:48  |  YMS 14/11/06   14.   shortcut 08:52  |  fadi 14/11/06   15.   to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 09:08  |  Igal 14/11/06   16.   Europeans Fast Asleep like in 1938 09:12  |  Semsem 14/11/06   17.   Netanyahu is a liar, spinner 09:28  |  KMS 14/11/06   18.   IT WON`T WORK THIS TIME, BIBI 09:29  |  indrajaya 14/11/06   19.   IT WON`T WORK THIS TIME, BIBI 09:29  |  indrajaya 14/11/06   20.   Gandhi and Netnyaho ##8 09:31  |  Dr.JojiCherian 14/11/06   21.   It won`t work 09:36  |  Zohra 14/11/06   22.   It won`t work 09:36  |  Zohra 14/11/06   23.   The miscreants of spin. 09:46  |  maoriboy 14/11/06   24.   Nethanyau as the "spiritual brother" of Ahmadinejad.... 09:50  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/11/06   25.   Bibi`s words are cheap 09:54  |  sh 14/11/06   26.   What Netanyahu said. 10:11  |  David Nigel Braham 14/11/06   27.   The situation`s grim but it`s not 1940 10:18  |  volov 14/11/06   28.   illusions 10:28  |  grazia 14/11/06   29.   it`s not 1940 10:28  |  volov 14/11/06   30.   Nothing gets more cowardice than this 10:30  |  Rupert 14/11/06   31.   The good thing about the next holocaust 10:35  |  Judith 14/11/06   32.   UNLIKE OLMERT, BIBI IS NOT DUMB 10:37  |  indrajaya 14/11/06   33.   another holocaust? 10:39  |  JCabe422 14/11/06   34.   Most people here miss Bibi`s point 10:41  |  B`Galil 14/11/06   35.   It`s not quite 1940 10:41  |  volov 14/11/06   36.   1938??? 10:48  |  David King 14/11/06   37.   Gimme A Break 10:51  |  Paulo 14/11/06   38.   I`m afraid, the foundation-stone for the next Holocaust....... 11:09  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/11/06   39.   Do your own dirty work. 11:20  |  Nandi 14/11/06   40.   i wish natanyahu would stop using the h word 11:26  |  thucydides 14/11/06   41.   Bibi & Gandhi 11:34  |  Rowan Berkeley 14/11/06   42.   Nukes are already in the hands of warmongers. 11:55  |  Tony Price 14/11/06   43.   Netanyahu is right Ahmadinejad intends to destroy us 11:57  |  Shalom Freedman 14/11/06   44.   this talkback is sickening 11:58  |  Jake 14/11/06   45.   It`s 2006... 12:01  |  JJ 14/11/06   46.   Iran is Germany and Israel must use neutron bomb! 12:08  |  Ethan 14/11/06   47.   Netanyahu and Holocaust issues - as he pleases 12:08  |  Jacob 14/11/06   48.   SWISS re foundation stone.The Islamofascist/Left understanding is 12:14  |  PETER SM 14/11/06   49.   Israeli politicians` motives... 12:17  |  Guess who 14/11/06   50.   Here we go again 12:35  |  Ben 14/11/06   51.   ISRAELI NUCLEAR STRIKE 12:36  |  NEUTERED OBSERVER 14/11/06   52.   Netanyahu for Prime Minister. Netanyahu for Prime Minister. 12:47  |  Dan 14/11/06   53.   Re:Lgal 12:55  |  Raden 14/11/06   54.   To #18: indrajaya 13:01  |  Aussie 14/11/06   55.   So Neutered observer how exactly have the uS 13:12  |  British academic 14/11/06   56.   Jcabe422 13:12  |  Director 14/11/06   57.   #44 Jake. Bibi at nauseam 13:17  |  Ben 14/11/06   58.   Bibi muddling Zionist history 13:58  |  justajew 14/11/06   59.   Ahmadinejad is shooting from the lip as Bibi and Lieberman do 13:58  |  Yossi Cronenberg 14/11/06   60.   Netanyahu: It`s 1938 14:07  |  Philip Young 14/11/06   61.   Osirak 14:11  |  C 14/11/06   62.   British academic 14:11  |  loza 14/11/06   63.   The Oil Argument 14:12  |  JewishHeart 14/11/06   64.   Horray for Yossi Cronenberg 14:13  |  loza 14/11/06   65.   This man needs to be in charge of Israel 14:13  |  Chris Linthwaite 14/11/06   66.   Bibi is right 100% 14:18  |  Jonathan S 14/11/06   67.   59 thank you Yossi 14:19  |  thomas 14/11/06   68.   Ioza you certainly have an HND from SouthBank Poly 14:40  |  British academic 14/11/06   69.   # 66 Jonathan S is beating again the war-drums.... 14:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/11/06   70.   rowan the ignorant 14:49  |  larrry k 14/11/06   71.   The Neocons started the war... and Bibi was their whisperer 14:52  |  British academic 14/11/06   72.   Paranoia from the Used Car Salesman