'No reason to meet pathological Holocaust denier'

Senior government officials on Saturday expressed anger toward Swiss President Hans Rudolf Merz over his scheduled meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Geneva on Sunday.

President Hans Rudolf Merz intends to meet the Iranian president prior to the politically charged United Nations Durban II anti-racism conference, which is being boycotted by Israel other countries for its anti-Israel and anti-Zionist bias.

A high-ranking Jerusalem official noted that Israel is both indignant and astonished at the plan to hold the meeting, especially since the Swiss president is known to be a friend of Israel.

"There's no reason to hold such a high-profile meeting with a pathological Holocaust denier such as Ahmadinejad," the official said.

"It is offensive to shake the hand of the Iranian president who fouls his mouth with horrific displays of anti-Semitism, preaches for Israel's destruction, and hangs men, women and children in the streets of Iran's cities," the official added.