Haaretz
Kislev 8, 5766
TEHRAN - Iran's President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad on Thursday expressed doubt that the Holocaust occurred and
suggested Israel be moved to Europe.
His comments, reported by the
official IRNA news agency from a news conference he gave in the Saudia
Arabian city of Mecca, follow his call in October for Israel to be "wiped
off the map", which sparked widespread international
condemnation.
"Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler
killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces and they insist on it to the
extent that if anyone proves something contrary to that they condemn that
person and throw them in jail," IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as
saying.
"Although we don't accept this claim, if we suppose it is
true, we ask the Europeans: Is the killing of innocent Jewish people by
Hitler the reason for their support to the occupiers of
Jerusalem?"
"If the Europeans are honest they should give some of
their provinces in Europe -- like in Germany, Austria or other countries
-- to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe.
You offer part of Europe and we will support it," he added.
Earlier
in his speech, the Iranian president said: "The question is where do those
who rule in Palestine as occupiers come from? Where were they born? Where
did their fathers live? They have no roots in Palestine but they have
taken the fate of Palestine in their hands?
"Isn't the right to
national self-determination one of the principles of the United Nations
charter? Why do they deprive Palestinians of this right?" he said.
Close allies when Iran was ruled by the U.S.-backed Shah, Iran and
Israel have become implacable foes since Iran's 1979 Islamic
revolution.
Israel accuses Iran of giving arms and funding to
militant Palestinian groups such as Islamic Jihad and of building nuclear
weapons. Iran denies the charges.
Tehran calls Israel a "terrorist
state" and has developed missiles that can reach Israel. It says it would
use them if Israel tried to bomb its nuclear
facilities.