Ahmadinejad ¡ª who has repeatedly spoken out against Israel and declared in
October that it should be "wiped off the map" ¡ª said the Middle Eastern nation
was the only country Tehran was unwilling to speak with about the nuclear
standoff.
He called it a "tyrannical regime that one day will be destroyed," and
repeated allegations that European countries were driven by anti-Semitism when
they decided after the Holocaust to establish a Jewish state in the midst of
Muslim countries. They wanted the Jews out of their own backyard, he said, and
paved the way for their ultimate destruction.
Israeli officials ¡ª who have described Iran's nuclear quest as the Jewish
state's greatest threat ¡ª had no immediate comment on Ahmadinejad's latest
remarks, said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev.
Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Monday that Iran could be threatened
with destruction if it continues to vow to destroy Israel.
Ahmadinejad also criticized the United States and European nations over their
response to the Palestinian elections.
"When the Palestinian people were holding their general election, (the United
States and its European allies), which espouse liberalism and democracy, showed
a bad attitude by not recognizing the Palestinian government," he said.
The students who crammed into auditoriums at the Islamic University and,
earlier in the day at the University of Indonesia, applauded Ahmadinejad
enthusiastically and listened intently throughout his 60- to 90-minute speeches.
They held signs saying "Iran in our Hearts," and "Nuclear for Peace," and
some praised him for not wavering in the face of opposition from the United
States.
"I loved him, he was very charismatic," said a first-year economics student
who identified herself as Deslina. "If it comes to that, they should go to war.
If I could, I would fight the United States."
Indonesia, which supports Iran's right to pursue nuclear technology for
peaceful means, is considered by Washington to be a close ally in its war on
terror and offered Wednesday to mediate in the crisis. Like Iran, it does not
have diplomatic relations with Israel.
