Iran Condemned by the UN

(First posted early 2006)

During the annual Jerusalem Day held in Tehran
to reaffirm Iranian solidarity with the Palestinians,
president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeated a
phrase first used about 25 years ago by the
founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the late
Ayatollah Khomeini, a phrase repeated most
years, maybe every year, on this day, namely
that "Israel must be wiped off the map".

Israel and the collective West immediately seized
on this remark and linked it to Iran's nuclear
programme. Yes, it was somewhat of an own
goal by Iran but the phrase is nothing new and
Ahmadinejad even made clear that he was
repeating an old quote by saying
"As the Imam [Khomeini] said, Israel must be
wiped off the map" - so why the uproar?

Condemnations came flooding in from every
quarter and Israel went squealing to the UN
Security Council demanding that Iran be thrown
out of the organisation - Israel of all countries,
by any definition of the term rogue state, surely
the roguest nation on planet earth!!
Iran was severely reprimanded by
general secretary Kofi Annan.

Question:
Where were they all recently when that evil
man Ariel Sharon stood up before the UN
General Assembly and repeated that
"Jerusalem will remain the eternal undivided
capital of Israel"???
That statement, at a stroke, wipes a future state
of Palestine off the map and for 2 simple reasons:
Firstly, because East Jerusalem, illegally occupied
by Israel since 1967, is indisputably Arab and for
historical and moral reasons alone must be given
back to the Arabs, and secondly, because a future
state of Palestine could not function, would not be
viable, without (East) Jerusalem as its commercial
hub and heart.
This totally outrageous remark by Sharon
received no critical comment, not a squeak
of protest from anyone -
bloody hypocrites all of you!!

Given Israel's illegal and barbaric behaviour,
seeking its destruction seems to me to be a
laudable goal. The world would undoubtedly be
a safer and more peaceful place if the state of
Israel were dissolved and Palestine resurrected.

And, by the way, I agree with president
Ahmadinejad's recent comment that the UN
headquarters should be moved away from
America who repeatedly tramples on its most
basic provisions and fails to pay its dues.
The question, of course, is: Where to??
Suggestions welcome.

Instead of seizing on the restating of an old
quote, we should all be organising a Jerusalem
Day wherever we are to show our support for
the Palestinian struggle for justice.