Ahmadinejad: Palestinians must be able to determine own future
In interview with ABC, Iranian President says any decision made by Palestinians must be respected.
By The Associated PressIranian 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.
Ahmadinejad raised outrage in the West when he said in an October 2005 speech that Israel's Zionist regime should be wiped off the map.
Supporters of the president and some independent analysts have argued recently that his words were mistranslated from the Farsi - they argue it is better translated vanish from the pages of time, implying it would vanish on its own rather be destroyed.
In the ABC interview, Ahmadinejad compared Israel to the Soviet Union, saying, "What happened to the former Soviet Union? It disappeared, disappeared from the face of the Earth. Was it because of war? No. It was through the decision of the people."
Ahmadinejad has taken a less confrontational tone in recent days at a time when the United States has sharply stepped up its pressure on Iran, increasing its military presence in the Gulf and accusing Iran of providing sophisticated explosives to militants in Iraq.
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Iranian President Ahmadinehad addressing an open session of parliament in Tehran on Tuesday. (AP) |
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safe localities in europe and north america".no,jackel the problem is people like you and your country where most of the western proviences are commited to islamic domination of the world and islamic jihad.you bastards are hiding bin laden and just waiting for your chance to murder some "non muslims".when you say we were celebrating the death of 1200 lebanese civillians,how did you come to that conclusion?did you see us passing out candy to children like you sick fu88s do?how much celebrating and passing out candy did you do,jackel,after 9/11,when over 3000 innocent american citizens were murdered by you muslims?spread so more of your hate,jackel,your time will come,boy!
used when talking to his own people. Only a couple of days ago he called in his speech in Teheran for the elimination of Israel. Who is, then, the real Iranian president. I assume that people say what the truly think in their native tongue addressed to domestic audience.
This kind of amicable speech in the lips of the astute Farsi must be read as an effort to appear as more moderate, a sign that Iran may be close to achievieng military nuclear capacity, and fear of an attac by the west increases.
You ranted against me in favour of your jewish roots, but forgot that you chose the Arab name 'Abdul'to post your comments. Perhaps you wanted to post some nasty and deceptive comments with that name so that Arabs could be blamed for that. anyway, if you had bothered to read my earlier comments carefully, you would have known that I 'did not' deny the connection of jews with some entity called israel that existed thousands years ago. I talked about the hollowness and weakness of that argument to justify your occupation. But perhaps you understood my words correctly but in the typical zionist fashion resorted to lies in order to throw dirt at me. This is my last comment for today, as they say: "One can't wrestle with chimney sweeps because whatever the outcome one can't come out clean."
Jackal criticizes Europeans and Americans for commenting on Israel/Palestine while he sits quite far from the scene in Pakistan - a lovely and tolerant place where honor killings of women, stoning of Christians (did they commit the awful crime of prosthelytizing?), and providing haven to the 13th Century Taliban heroes are the norm. Jackal and his ilk really ought to focus on fixing their own totally disfunctional society instead of engaging in the usual scapegoating of Israel for the Muslim world's problems. To paraphrase: "Let he who hath not beheaded someone, cast the first stone..."
You reccur in your ignorance despite the other poster clarification. Ignorance tends to be a fertile ground for hate and your case is well documented. Before you consult a therapist, you could illuminate others by showing how well Muslims and Indians managed to sort out their difference by splitting in two different countries. You probably forget your own learnings about Israel being the Jewish homeland long before the arabs invaded it.
Even though you are SOOOOOOO clearly wrong, it is twice as hypocritical since you state you come from Pakistan. A country that was created by Muslims in order to not be controlled by the majority Hindus! And a massive proportion of Hindu's ended up forced out of Pakistan. I expect hypocrites to make unintelligent statements, but double hypocrites in one go? Thats fresh!
if there were any brains in those empty heads that belong to Bush or Olmert (and other spineless leaders in the West), the downfall of the whole "Iranian Crew" would be quite simple and effective. Iran is not composed of a homogenous population. By employing the same "Iranian methods" of "encouraging and funding" the many indigenous disparate Irainian groups with arms and money the US or Israel would bring about the ultimate "Iranian" instability, making it "impossible" for its leaders to meddle outside its own borders and with its nuclear toys. "What's good for the goose, is good for the gander?"
Actually, dancing in the streets at the news of dead Jewish/Israeli civilians is the standard regional arab response. Such a display is considered "dispicable" in civilized countries. It wasn't so long ago that several Israeli policemen accidently got lost in the West Bank and were kidnapped from a local police station by an angry mob, beaten, hanged, dismembered and had their body parts paraded through the streets. What does that tell you about the nature or humanity of the parties involved?
Jackal you're a hypocrite. You complain about how one person is playing the victim card. But than you do the same thing in your response to it(post #13) when you say American and Europe were cheering Arab deaths. Give me a break man, stop seeing the world through your blinders.
Woooooooo! The Jackel says there is no connection of Jews to Israel. Yet, thousands of years before Muhamed and the 7th century's notion of Islam, or the 1st century's notion of Christianity there was in fact not only the Jewish connection, but the foundation of the nation of Israel. Sacking the Temple(s), or building atop history does not change the ROOT foundation and history of the Jew's connection with Jerusalem and ancient Palestine. When a common respect is attained, there may be peace. But changing one mind at a time does seem undauntingly hopeless. Doesn't it!!!
During the day he is mild mannered President Ahmadinejad, presiding over the the executions of retarded 16 year old girls for kissing boys but during the night, he washes his hands, and turns into Super Achmadhimmejad and circulates the Neturei Karta Bars kissing everyone on their mouth.
Haaretz, please post this correction.
President Ahmandinejad forgot the real main issues: 1. A free Kurdistan nation 2. Us Jews that were foreced to flee our homelands in the Arab and Muslim countries 3. His country's persecution against the people of the Bahai and Zorastian faiths
soon ahmedinedaj's day is coming..hes the best thing for israel , now the world can actually hear what these people really think but never say out loud..Thank goodness for his stupidity he is only huting his own coutry with his verbage and his calls for an end to israel..soon the usa will attack him and he will attack israel and that will be the end of him.
Sir, I don't know what anti-semitism/anti-jewish sprit you found in my words. This is typical 'politics of anti-semitism' and 'being victimised' which sadly you intend to transfer to your children - that everyone non-jew in the world wants to kill them (including your friends evangelical christians in the US) I wish that unlike you and others from outside israel, your children would be 'Canadians' if they don't live in israel (your comment is made from Canada), and would have a balanced view regarding Palestinians. I wish them well for successes in their lives. Anyway, the problem is that the people sitting in posh and safe localities in Europe and North America make things more troublesome. They support Israeli occupation, murders and wars but many of them didn't come to israel when it was getting a bloody good hiding from Lebanese resistence last year. More than weeping for the dead israeli invading soldiers, they were celebrating the death of 1200 Lebanese civilians.
Funny he calls for referendum among palestinians and israelis! I think a referendum in Iran would wipe the mullahs regime off the map of time! Any ideas on how to bring that about?
I take your comparison to pussy cats as an insult!...as you can tell I'm also a cat, but let me assure you Ahmadinejad is nothing like a cat. He's just a vulture feeding off of others' death abd destruction,including the people he is supposedly serving. Meow!
Question: Is Ariel Toaff now busy writing another best seller, "Achminijad, Nice Guy: Zionist Attempts To Defame Achminajad and Iran."
I could take you seriously but when you want to compae Israel with Nazi Germany you lose credibility. Jews have an attachment to Israel well berfore any white settlers ever came to SA. Israel would like nothing better than to disengage from "Palestine". However even when they do so, they are not left in peace. Israel tried to negotiate with Arafat, like De klerk and Mandela did, but got the Intifada in return. On a personell note, I grew up in SA and emmigrated to the US at age 38. I am not an Israeli citizen but an American. Also I am in LA, beautiful climate, not New York. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that Israel would like nothing more than peace. I really don't believe that of the Palestinian leadership. In negotiations, its not meet all demands or else. I never see any compromise on the part of the Palestinians.
WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU TO MAKE CONFIRM THE TRUE BIASED NATURE AND HOSTILITY OF THE WORLD TOWARDS JEWS AND ISRAEL. I WILL PRINT YOUR COMMENTS SO THAT MY CHILDREN UNDERSTAND THAT NO MATTER WHAT THEY TRY TO DO TO MAKE PEACE, THEY WILL ALWAYS BE HATED AND ABUSED. THE REASON ISRAEL BEHAVES THE WAY IT DOES IS THANK TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU.
Ahmadinejad is a L-O-S-E-R!
Israel's comparison with Nazi Germany is prohibited by this newspaper. So, I had no option but to compare it with apartheid South Africa. Regarding aparthied South Africa, Afrikaans 'were' and 'are' more natives to South Africa than Israelis are to Palestine. Whatever wicked and nasty aparthied whites were to blacks, they still had some roots to the land. Hopefully, both black and communities have a good united future ahead of them now. But what about Israeli colonialisers and settlers? You have sent your comment from New York. That tells the whole story; A land has been occpied. People from different parts of world have been brought to live here. More than that, people who still are living like you outside israel are citizens of the occupying entity, but the real owners of land are made refugees in their own land and elsewhere. regarding your comments about Pakistan; I am ashamed to say that we are more stupid as a nation in many respects than you guys are regarding occupation.
Unity has softened Ahmandinejad's stand.It is what Hamas has brought to the PA. It is a clever move from a clever man. He is pulling himself in and pulling Hamas closer to Abbas. It can only superficially work.The fundamentalists intention are their intention and America along with Israel (hopefully) know the scam. The question is has America got to Abbas enough to keep him onside? Its debatable at this point. The point is it is not about talking.Its about action. Everyone is wary of Hamas and everyone is doubly wary about Ahmandinejad so whatever they say means nothing.Lets see them release Shallit first and then we'll see.
South Africa is very much alive and so will Israel be forever. How can you compare Israel thoufh to apartheid in South Africa is beyond me, but ofcourse you never went to South Africa. 1)In SA, blacks were not members of parliament, in Israe, Arabs are. 2)In SA, blacks could not vote, in Israel Arabs can. 3)In SA blacks could not own land, in Israel Arabs can. I could go on and on. Israel may not be perfect, no country is, but neither is Pakistan or anywhere else. Israel does not resemble apartheid SA any more than Pakistan does, which also has a huge underclass.