Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appealed to the world on Wednesday to take seriously the threats posed by Iran's nuclear program and its declarations that Israel must be wiped off the map.

Speaking to a convention of the Orthodox Union, an American Jewish group,
Olmert said the physical threat posed by Iranian nuclear weapons is no less dangerous than what he called the "moral aspect," calls by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for Israel's destruction, comparing them to the German Nazis of World War II.

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"We heard the voices in the past of leaders of nations that are talking about the liquidation of the Jewish people," Olmert said. "We can't afford ... to listen and not to react."

"We can't allow anyone in any place in the world to continue their routine without responding," Olmert said.

There has been considerable speculation about the possibility that Israel
might attack Iranian nuclear facilities. Israel's official policy is that an Iranian nuclear weapon would endanger the whole Western world, not just Israel, and Israel would not lead the effort to contain the threat.

Iran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Olmert said he discussed the problem with U.S. President George W. Bush during his talks at the White House last week. "I found understanding and commitment by the great friend of the state of Israel that resides in the White House," he said.

The prime minister also voiced fresh endorsement for a Bush administration, sapped by the unpopularity at home of its Middle East policies.

"I know all of his [Bush's] policies are controversial in America. There are some who support his policies in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, and some who do not," he said.

"I stand with the president because I know that Iraq without Saddam Hussein is so much better for the security and safety of Israel, and all of the neighbours of Israel without any significance to us," added Olmert.