Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today that there will be no tranquility in the Middle East as long as Israel continues to exist.
"As long as the Zionist regime (Israel) exists, if only on a small piece of land in Palestine, the region will not see tranquility," Ahmadinejad said. "So all the people of the region shall move towards the disappearance of American domination in the region and the disappearance of the Zionist regime," Ahmadinejad added [IRNA*, 3 May].
The Iranian president made the remarks in the televised speech on the 22nd anniversary of the death of the founder of Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Noteworthy that he did not use the phrase “Zionism,” as an ideology, but “Zionist Regime,” an expression used by the Iranian leadership to refer to the state of Israel.
* Translated by AFP, Persian text by IRNA
I think its peculiar he used 'Zionist regime' over 'Zionist entity' which is his other oft used expression.
ReplyDeleteI think the use of the phrase 'Zionist regime' is supposed to conjure up an image of a minority regime imposing itself on and oppressing the majority of the Palestinians, in a similar manner that the Baathists in Iraq oppressed the countries majority Shiite population.
These are very dangerous and irresponsible statements he is spouting
so what?why not?Israel's been nothing but trouble for the region since it was imposed using sympathy from the holocaust onto Arab countries.Israel is a colonial establishment to further their evil goals in the ME.
ReplyDeleteDidn't Reagan call for the end of the communist regime in the Soviet Union?
ReplyDeleteTo our commentators,
ReplyDeleteIf you look at the comments published in this blog in these past four years, it will become evident that we publish comments that represent different points of view, politically and otherwise. We receive few comments, however, that mainly constitute personal attacks on the authors and other commentators, using language not used by tugs and not serious commentators and thinkers. Those are the only comments we do not publish. Unfortunately we received few comments of those kinds in this post and could not publish them. Again, we do invite all our commentators to express their political viewpoints and we do believe that different viewpoints will bring much vitality to this blog. Thanks for your understanding.
The old South African govt used to be refered to as the "Apartheid regime". IMO that is how the use of the term is meant in regard to the Israeli govt. It is meant to delegitimise the govt of Israel, and put the struggle against it in the region in an anti-colonial, anti-imperialist context.
ReplyDeleteIsn't one of the reasons Ahmadinejad's aide is in trouble because he refered to the Israeli people as "friends"? You can't have your cake and eat it too Nader, either Ahmadinejad wants to wipe Israel off the map, or he protects people that want to engage with it at some level, whilst making a distinction between the zionist project and its enablers, and the Israeli people.
I wish the Israeli people well, Jews, Arabs or otherwise, but I detest zionism, and racism. So what does that make me?
Gifted one,
ReplyDeleteThe Iranian leadership, including the country’s foreign ministry, has always and routinely referred to the state of Israel as the “Zionist regime.” Their state-owned English-language press, like Press TV, routinely puts “Israel” in parenthesis in front of the word “Zionist regime.” Then when they call for elimination of the “Zionist regime,” they must expect to be understood as calling for the elimination of Israel.
This is a problem that has been caused by the Iranian leadership and their dangerous use of language. When we referred to the “Apartheid regime,” we did not meant the country and the nation of South Africa. When we said Shah’s regime, we did not refer to the country and the nation of Iran. Because we did not equate the South Africa with the apartheid regime, or Iran with Shah’s regime. The Iranian leaders do equate “Zionist regime” with Israel, they’ve done that for more than three decades. Instead of using historical examples to justify what they mean, it’s best to for them to stop using this type of unjustified and dangerous language.
Personally, I do not believe they use this type of language because they are illiterate or ignorant. They mean what they say.
"Israel is a colonial establishment"
ReplyDeleteHow can people be colonists in their own homeland? I can see how New York could be called a Jewish colony, but not Israel.
DC
How's Ahmadinejad's statement any different from Clinton saying sometime ago that the US will obliterate Iran and the daily Israeli mantra about air strikes against Iran?
ReplyDeleteSeems the owner of this blog only see one side of the story..
Honestly speaking, i pity the Israeli leadership. They've been spouting on about attacking Iran for ages to please their people and also make them look tough in the eyes of the world (at least, the Arab world) and are actually beginning to believe their own propaganda and may actually carry out an attack to "prove" they can do it.
What they don't take into account is what happens next. They base their calculations on the assumption that Iran will be so shocked after the first strike that they may refrain from hitting back and the US's presence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan may somewhat deter Iran to think twice about a counter attack. They may as well believe in fairy tales and Santa Clause because Iran WILL strike back and strike so hard Israel as a state will cease to exist.
Iran, living through eight years of REAL WAR - not the mickey mouse wars that are fought for 3-6 days with Arab armies that are more than willing to defect than fight etc, means what she says when she says Israel will cease to exist if they ever make a stupid mistake and attack Iran. Israel cannot stand a war more than 3 months without a heavy dose of US support and at least half her population flying out to Europe/ US. It a nation of migrant and they will leave in a heartbeat when the going gets tough - plain and simple.
Dr. Ahmadinejad's only voicing what the masses in the region believe. Go to any Arab country and ask their views on Israel and you'll be shocked by the response you'll get...If the US couldn't attack Iran 30 years ago when Iran was vulnerable and weak, what makes any sane person think otherwise?
To begin with, I am against the Mullahs. It think they are traitors to Iran and the Iranian nation.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the state of Israel , it is a racist state ( I have nothing against the Jews) with no respect for the resolutions passed by the UN during the past 60 years. (can anybody tell me why Saddam's regim could be attacked militarily for not respecting the UN resolutions but in the case of Israel nobody gives a damn?) The American and European politicians do not have a chance of getting elected to an office if they do not support the state of Israel. The Israelis are occupying palestinian land. Basically they are doing almost the same things (bare gasing them) to the Palestinians as the Nazi's did to them during the 2:nd world war. The same tactics used by the SS in the occupied parts of Europe. The Europeans were then freedom fighters but the Palestinians are now Terrorists. (Demolition of their houses etc..) Gaza is in effect a big concentration camp like "lodz" in Poland. Any criticism about the state of Israel and its misconduct against the Palestinians is attacked as Antisemitism in the Media that is inluenced or owned (Rupert Murdoch) by lobby groups like AIPIAC. I am not calling for the destruction of the state of Israel but advocate a just peace and respect for palestinians as Human Beings. The injustice can not continue like this.