Iran: Israel Has ‘No Roots’ in Middle Eastern History

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared on Tuesday that Israel has no place in the Middle East, and only a recent and insignificant history in the region.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, said, “What are they? What are these Zionists? Put the world map in front of you, put an atlas in front of you. Iran has been Iran for the last 7-10,000 years. They have been occupying those territories for the last 60, 70 years with the support and force of the Westerners. They have no roots there in history.”

The Iranian president made the remarks at a news conference on the first full day of his visit to New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly. Back in 2005, Ahmadinejad called Israel a “tumor” and repeated the words of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, saying the Jewish nation should be wiped off the map.

Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has pointed to Iran’s belligerence as one indication of a rapidly approaching clash of civilizations. In 2006, he explained that Ahmadinejad believes he was given his presidency in order to provoke a seismic clash that will hasten the return of Shia Islam’s messianic figure. Ahmadinejad’s anti-Israel statements on Tuesday provide fresh evidence of Iran’s obstinate hatred for the Jewish nation. Despite a swelling pile of archeological evidence proving Jewish claims to Israel, Iran maintains relentless defiance on the matter. To understand where these sobering trends are leading, read “A Clash of Civilizations Is Imminent.”