Israel responds to Iranian President's outburst
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
TV PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT
LOCATION: http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2005/s1492442.htm
Broadcast: 27/10/2005
Israel responds to Iranian President's outburst
Reporter: Norman Hermant
TONY JONES: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says his country will launch a broad offensive against Palestinian militants after yesterday's suicide bombing that killed five people. But Israel is also returning fire on the diplomatic front after an outburst from Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for Israel to wiped off the map and encouraged further attacks by militants. His comments have brought condemnation from leaders around the world. Norman Hermant reports.
NORMAN HERMANT: It's something Israelis have seen many times before, but this clean-up came after the first deadly bombing in two months. Yesterday's blasts tore apart a market stall in the city of Hadera. At least five people were killed. The militant group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility. The suicide bombing, it said, was in retaliation for Israel's killing of its West Bank military commander on Monday. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has vowed Israel will respond.
"Unfortunately the Palestinian Authority has not taken any serious or even non-serious action to battle terrorism," he said. "Therefore, our activities will be broad and non-stop until they halt terrorism."
Israel is also launching a diplomatic councillor attack aimed at Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Yesterday he dropped a rhetorical bomb on Israel calling it a disgraceful blot that should be wiped off the map. The comments came at a conference in Tehran called 'The World Without Zionism'. The Iranian President also encouraged more attacks on Israel.
"A new wave of Palestinian attacks would destroy the Jewish state," he said. "They are actively involved in their fight against the regime and I thank the great god for this."
Israel's Deputy Prime Minister has called for Iran to be expelled from the United Nations.
SIMON PERES, ISRAELI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Since 1945, the establishment of the United Nations, no head of state which is a member of the United Nations ever called for the destruction of another member of the United Nations publicly and clearly as the President of Iran did.
NORMAN HERMANT: Simon Peres was meeting Russia's foreign minister and if Sergey Lavrov looked anxious it may have been because three days ago he was meeting his Iranian counterpart partly to discuss Russia's ongoing involvement in building a $1 billion reactor in Iran. Today even Sergey Lavrov was hedging his bets.
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: I don't agree that anybody should challenge that right of any UN member to exist. This is indeed inadmissible.
NORMAN HERMANT: With Iran engaged in a tense stand-off with the West over its nuclear program, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's comments brought condemnation from Europe and the US. Washington says the world is now seeing the true nature of Iran's new president and his increasingly hardline regime.
SEAN McCORMACK, US STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: And I think that it only serves to underscore our concern as well as the international community's concern about Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.
NORMAN HERMANT: Despite the rising temperature, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad doesn't appear to be backing down. Norman Hermant, Lateline.
TV PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT
LOCATION: http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2005/s1492442.htm
Broadcast: 27/10/2005
Israel responds to Iranian President's outburst
Reporter: Norman Hermant
TONY JONES: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says his country will launch a broad offensive against Palestinian militants after yesterday's suicide bombing that killed five people. But Israel is also returning fire on the diplomatic front after an outburst from Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for Israel to wiped off the map and encouraged further attacks by militants. His comments have brought condemnation from leaders around the world. Norman Hermant reports.
NORMAN HERMANT: It's something Israelis have seen many times before, but this clean-up came after the first deadly bombing in two months. Yesterday's blasts tore apart a market stall in the city of Hadera. At least five people were killed. The militant group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility. The suicide bombing, it said, was in retaliation for Israel's killing of its West Bank military commander on Monday. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has vowed Israel will respond.
"Unfortunately the Palestinian Authority has not taken any serious or even non-serious action to battle terrorism," he said. "Therefore, our activities will be broad and non-stop until they halt terrorism."
Israel is also launching a diplomatic councillor attack aimed at Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Yesterday he dropped a rhetorical bomb on Israel calling it a disgraceful blot that should be wiped off the map. The comments came at a conference in Tehran called 'The World Without Zionism'. The Iranian President also encouraged more attacks on Israel.
"A new wave of Palestinian attacks would destroy the Jewish state," he said. "They are actively involved in their fight against the regime and I thank the great god for this."
Israel's Deputy Prime Minister has called for Iran to be expelled from the United Nations.
SIMON PERES, ISRAELI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Since 1945, the establishment of the United Nations, no head of state which is a member of the United Nations ever called for the destruction of another member of the United Nations publicly and clearly as the President of Iran did.
NORMAN HERMANT: Simon Peres was meeting Russia's foreign minister and if Sergey Lavrov looked anxious it may have been because three days ago he was meeting his Iranian counterpart partly to discuss Russia's ongoing involvement in building a $1 billion reactor in Iran. Today even Sergey Lavrov was hedging his bets.
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: I don't agree that anybody should challenge that right of any UN member to exist. This is indeed inadmissible.
NORMAN HERMANT: With Iran engaged in a tense stand-off with the West over its nuclear program, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's comments brought condemnation from Europe and the US. Washington says the world is now seeing the true nature of Iran's new president and his increasingly hardline regime.
SEAN McCORMACK, US STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: And I think that it only serves to underscore our concern as well as the international community's concern about Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.
NORMAN HERMANT: Despite the rising temperature, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad doesn't appear to be backing down. Norman Hermant, Lateline.
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