Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Iranian presidential candidates reflect discontent with Ahmadinejad stance

Anshel Pfeffer — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:15:56 +0100

The Iranian presidential elections are just under six weeks away and although the current president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is barred from running for a third term, his record is being attacked by a number of candidates. What is even more surprising is that they are attacking him on his policy towards Israel and the Jewish people.

One candidate, Tehran mayor Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, criticised Mr Ahmadinejad for offending the Jewish people by denying the Holocaust. He said: “Defending the goals of the Palestinians is part of the principles of our foreign policy. Denying the Holocaust is not part of our foreign policy.”

In an interview with a local news agency last week, Mr Ghalibaf said: “We were never against Judaism; it’s a religion. What we opposed was Zionism.” He said that the Iranian leadership since the 1979 Islamic revolution had been against Israel, not the Jews: “With the wisdom of ayatollahs Khomeini and Khamenei, no one could accuse us of being antisemitic. Suddenly, however, without consideration for the results and implications, the issue of the Holocaust was raised. How did this benefit the revolution or the Palestinians? It became an excuse for our biggest enemies, the Zionists, and affected the goals of the Palestinians.”

Another candidate, former speaker of the parliament Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, also criticised Ahmadinejad, saying, “we have not benefited by the denial of the Holocaust”. However, he did not go as far as Mr Ghalibaf — he added that the Holocaust was a matter for historians and that he could not rule on the issue.

Former president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a rival of the current leadership who is rumoured to be planning a new bid for the post, said this week that Iran should “repair its foreign policy” and that “we are not at war with Israel”. Although balanced by saying that “if the Arab countries are at war with them, we’ll help them”, the statement was notably different from the usual rhetoric.

How significant is this? There are two reasons to assume that the more moderate noises coming from Tehran do not signal a change in Iranian policy.

First, the chances of either Mr Ghalibaf or Mr Rafsanjani becoming president are rather slim. The Tehran mayor is not a leading candidate and, while Mr Rafsanjani has both the name-recognition and the resources to run a winning campaign, he will almost certainly be blocked from running by the conservative camp loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Ultimately, none of these candidates is opposed to Iran’s twin policies of nuclear development and the spread of its influence throughout the Middle East using radical Shia groups such as Hizbollah.

Furthermore, even if a relatively moderate president were to be elected, he would have little real influence on foreign policy: this area is the near-exclusive preserve of the Supreme Leader, who exercises his will through his own hand-picked representatives and the Revolutionary Guards.

But the new tone being heard in the presidential elections is indicative of one significant development. They express a wider feeling among the public that Ahmadinejad’s belligerence has caused the country severe damage.

Ahmadinejad visits Egypt - next stop Gaza?

Anna Sheinman — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 11:41:13 +0000

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arrived in Cairo in the first Iranian state visit to Egypt since its revolution in 1979 and says he also wants to visit Gaza.

Mr Ahmadinejad was greeted at the airport by Egyptian President and Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi. The visit by Mr Ahmadinejad is said to represent a thaw in Egypt-Iran relations following the 2011 uprising in Egypt and the election of an Islamist party.

The Iranian leader is in Cairo in order to attend a summit on Islamic co-operation on Wednesday.

Speaking in a television interview with Beirut station Al Mayadeen on Monday, Mr Ahmadinejad said: "The political geography of the region will change if Iran and Egypt take a unified position on the Palestinian question.”

He also said he wanted to visit neighbouring Gaza, which is run by the Islamist Hamas. He said: “If they allow it, I would go to Gaza to visit the people."

Protesters take to the streets over Iran currency crisis

Jennifer Lipman — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:20:56 +0100

Iranian anti-government protesters gathered in Tehran on Wednesday as demonstrators called for the government to change course following a slump in the country's currency.

In a clear suggestion that economic sanctions against Iran, put in place by Western governments to derail Iranian nuclear plans, are beginning to bite, the Iranian r ial lost a record 40 per cent of its value against the US dollar in under a week.

Around 100 demonstrators assembled in front of the Iranian central bank and in Imam Khomeini Square shouting that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a "traitor" and blaming him for the financial pain, while the main market in Tehran was closed, in what some reports suggested was a protest move. The bazaar was a key site for organisers of the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Riot police allegedly used tear gas to disperse the demonstration, while protesters and money changers selling dollars were reportedly arrested in an official clampdown.

President Ahmadinejad denied that there was a currency crisis but blamed the rial's deterioration on "psychological pressures" from Western sanctions.

Last week Mr Ahmadinejad, whose domestic position is far from secure, gave what was expected to be his final speech at the United Nations General Assembly, during which he criticised accused international double standards. Iran is set to vote for his successor in June.

Ahmadinejad interviewed by Piers Morgan on CNN

Anna Sheinman — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:13:51 +0100

In a CNN interview with Piers Morgan on Monday night, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clarified what he meant when he said that Israel should be wiped off the map.

Mr Ahmadinejad said: “So when we say ‘to be wiped’, we say for occupation to be wiped off from this world. For war-seeking to (be) wiped off and eradicated, the killing of women and children to be eradicated. And we propose the way. We propose the path. The path is to recognise the right of the Palestinians to self-governance.”

Asked whether he believed in a two-state solution, President Ahmadinejad said: “I cannot express an opinion. That is their prerogative.

“But the people of Palestine must be allowed by everyone, and helped by everyone, to allow them, to give them the right to choose for themselves.”

The discussion on Piers Morgan Tonight also touched on his denial of the Holocaust, President Ahmadinejad said: “researchers and scholars must be free to conduct research and analysis about any historical event” as well as his view that homosexuality “ceases procreation”.

The president, who is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly meeting, has not been universally well received. Anti-Iran demonstrations have been held outside his hotel, and the New York Post has sent him a basket of Jewish goods saying that it hoped to "take the edge off his bloodthirsty desire to develop nuclear weapons and wipe Israel off the map", the Jerusalem Post reported.

The hamper reportedly contained borscht, gefilte fish, bagels, onion bialys and Zabar’s cream cheese. Unfortunately it did not reach its final destination as the US Secret Service prevented its delivery.

For the CNN video, click here

Anti-Israel Al-Quds demonstrations in Iran

Sandy Rashty — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 12:25:19 +0100

Iran’s national anti-Israel day led to a fresh wave of flag burning demonstrations in Tehran today to support of the "Palestinian resistance to the Israeli regime".

International Al-Quds Day, which has been annually staged since the 1979 Islamic revolution, encouraged citizens to stage mass demonstrations in support of the destruction of Israel.

The event, held on the last day of Ramadan, was broadcast by state television as crowds marched with Palestinian flags and shouted “Death to Israel”.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the Jewish state and said: “The very existence of the Zionist regime is an insult to humanity.

“Today, countering the Zionist entity defends human dignity and paves the way to save humankind from arrogance, poverty and misery.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the support of Palestinians a “religious duty.

“Israel is a bogus and fake Zionist outgrowth that will disappear,” he continued.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander commented: “It is deeply regrettable that, at a time when efforts should be made to deescalate tension in the Middle East, Iranian Leaders have in recent days made such dangerous offensive and inflammatory speeches.”

Al Quds day is named in support of the Palestinian claim to East Jerusalem, as "Al Quds", translated from Arabic, refers to the capital city.

The event has significantly intensified Israel-Iran tensions surrounding Iran’s emerging nuclear programme.

Israeli ministers have not denied a potential military retaliation if diplomatic relations and international sanctions fail to prevent the Islamic republic developing atomic weapons.

Ahmadinejad accuses 'Zionist clan' of controlling media, banks

Jennifer Lipman — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 14:17:48 +0100

A US hate monitor has labelled comments by Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "ominous" and warned the world to stop making excuses for him.

The Iranian leader, in statements quoted on his presidential website, spoke of a centuries-old Zionist conspiracy and accused the US predsidential candidates of "kissing the feet" of Zionists.

He said: "It has now been some 400 years that a horrendous Zionist clan has been ruling the major world affairs, and behind the scenes of the major power circles, in political, media, monetary and banking organizations in the world, they have been the decision makers."

He added: "Any freedom lover and justice seeker in the world must do its best for the annihilation of the Zionist regime in order to pave the path for the establishment of justice and freedom in the world."

Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said his words "filled with antisemitism and expressions of contempt for Israel and its leaders, are a hallmark of the hate filled and irrational nature of the Iranian regime.

"So much for all the people who have been trying to make excuses and say, 'he doesn't really mean it," said Mr Foxman. "This is Ahmadinejad's most comprehensive antisemitic speech yet.

"In his bluntness, Ahmadinejad cuts through the false dichotomy of anti-Zionism and antisemitism when he uses the term "Zionist" to describe alleged Jewish control of the world for 400 years."

Palestinian leader Abbas to visit Iran

Jennifer Lipman — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 10:56:42 +0100

Israeli officials have expressed concern at the decision by the Palestinian president to accept an invitation to Tehran.

Mahmoud Abbas is to visit Iran at the end of August for a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement. He was asked during a meeting in Jordan over the weekend to join the conference by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who invited him on behalf of Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"It reflects our appreciation of this movement, which always supported the Palestinian position and the Palestinian cause," said the Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki. "We cannot be absent from the summit of the non-aligned countries."

Iran and the Palestinian Authority have had mixed relations in the past, not least because of Iran's support for Fatah's rivals, the terrorist group Hamas. The Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, went to Iran earlier this year for a rally to mark the 33rd anniversary of the 1979 revolution.

Mr Abdollahian called for Hamas and Fatah to reconcile in order " to reach common ground on resistance in the face of threats by the Zionist entity".

But an Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post that it was time for Abbas to get off the fence and choose a partner.

"He cannot on the one hand say he believes in peace and reconciliation, and on the other hand embrace Hamas and the Iranian leadership," he said.

Brazilian Jews urge president to avoid Ahmadinejad meeting

Josh Jackman — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:46:52 +0100

Delegates representing Brazilian Jews have called on the nation's president not to meet Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his upcoming visit to the country.

President Ahmadinejad is travelling to Brazil next week for a United Nations summit on sustainable development, prompting fears in the Jewish community that Dilma Rousseff will give credibility to Ahmadinejad's regime by giving him an official reception.

The members of Brazil's umbrella organisation for Jewish communities, Confederação Israelita do Brasil (CONIB), made their feelings clear to Antonio Patriota, the Brazilian foreign minister, in a meeting last week.

Representatives explained that their opposition stemmed from concerns over Iran's nuclear programme, as well as their disgust with Ahmadinejad's views on the Holocaust and his government's repressive actions against critics and minorities.

Brazilian Congressman Walter Feldman has also expressed his dismay at the Iranian president's visit, telling Congress last week that Ahmadinejad is a "danger to Brazil and south America", and appealing to the government to deny him entry to the country.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has requested a meeting with Ms Rousseff, but it is thought that no such event will take place, as relations between Tehran and Brasilia have cooled since she was voted into office. During her term, Brazil has supported a UN investigation into alleged human rights abuses in Iran, and also condemned Iranian plans to stone to death Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a woman convicted of adultery.

Iran's Ahmadinejad wants to come to the London Olympics

Jennifer Lipman — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:19:21 +0100

Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has "no business" attending the London Olympic Games this summer, the World Jewish Congress said this week.

The Iranian leader told the country's official news agency that he wanted to go to the games to watch some of the 50 Iranian athletes who had qualified compete for gold.

But he added that he had a hurdle to cross in his route to the Olympics. "The host has a problem with this," he said.

Unwanted guests can be prevented from attending if British government officials decide their presence is not conducive to "the public good". A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said that she could not comment on individual cases.

"It's difficult enough to stomach that a man like the Iranian president is regularly given the opportunity to deliver from the podium of the United Nations hate speeches that are filled with antisemitic canards, invective against Israel and the West, and denial of the Holocaust," said a spokesman for the WJC.

"No senior Iranian government officials should be allowed to attend the Olympics under the cover of diplomatic immunity. Ahmadinejad's presence in London – and that of other dictators - would almost certainly steal the limelight from the sporting events."

Noting that the Iranian regime has in the past attempted to stop its athletes participating in events with Israelis, he called for the International Olympic Committee to take strong action in the event that this happened this summer.

He said: "The Olympics are, or rather, should be, about sports, and athletes from all nations including Iran must be welcome to participate provided they abide by the rules of the games."

Earlier this year, Westminster cut ties with Tehran after a group of extremist students raided the British mission in Iran.

Mr Ahmadinejad did not comment on the Olympic logo, which last year Iranian officials condemned as a "disgraceful" reminder of the word "Zion".

Netanyahu: Iran given free pass at nuclear talks

Jennifer Lipman — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:58:57 +0100

The Israeli Prime Minister has criticised international officials for a weak response to Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Representatives from the US. Britain, China, Russia, France and Germany met Iranian officials last week for nuclear talks. The discussions were disbanded until May 23, but were labelled "constructive and useful" by Baroness Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief.

Benjamin Netanyahu said they gave the Ahmadinejad regime a "freebie", by allowing Iran to enrich uranium without obstacle for another five weeks.

"It's got five weeks to continue enrichment without any limitation, any inhibition," he said.

President Obama reassured him by saying that if the next round of talks wielded no breakthrough more sanctions would be imposed on Tehran.

"We're going to keep on seeing if we make progress," he said. "The clocking is ticking and I've been very clear to Iran and to our negotiating partners that we're not going to have these talks just drag out in a stalling process.

"So far at least we haven't given away anything."

He said there was still "a window in which to resolve this conflict diplomatically. That window is closing and Iran needs to take advantage of it," he said.

The next meeting will take place in Baghdad.