Say, remember the dog-and-pony show that academics and other anti-Israel “experts” trotted out when Ahmadinejad said that Israel would be wiped off the map?
Whatever this quotation from a decades-old speech of Khomeini may have meant, Ahmadinejad did not say that “Israel must be wiped off the map” with the implication that phrase has of Nazi-style extermination of a people. He said that the occupation regime over Jerusalem must be erased from the page of time.
Now Ahmadinejad has managed to call for Israel’s destruction in no uncertain terms.
But Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took a hard line against Israel, calling it “an invader” and saying it “cannot continue its life.”
Unless you think “cannot continue its life” isn’t actually, you know, calling for the end of Israel.
It sure looks to me like that’s calling for the destruction of the State of Israel. But then, what do I know? I don’t have a Ph.D., I don’t understand Farsi, and I don’t get op-eds in major newspapers. But I think that this sort of talk means that Amhadinejad is calling for a Nazi-style extermination of a people.
However, his hard-line rhetoric resurfaced when Ahmadinejad said Israel “cannot continue its life.”
“Israel is an invader and is cruel, and it hasn’t got a united public. All other nations are against it,” he said. “We do not recognize them. They are attackers and illegal.”
Yeah, sounds fairly reminiscent of calls in the 1930s for the end of world Jewry.
“All other nations are against it”…Ahmadinejad’s use of this line clearly demonstrates the degree to which he is being encouraged by anti-Israel settlement in the western world.
If it had not been for the excuse-making for terrorism, and even romanticization of same, on the part of so many intellectuals over the past two decades, then global terrorism would be much less of a threat than it is.
There are a lot of writers, journalists, entertainers, and college professors with blood on their hands.
“Ahmadinejad did not say that ‘Israel must be wiped off the map’ with the implication that phrase has of Nazi-style extermination of a people. He said that the occupation regime over Jerusalem must be erased from the page of time.”
This quote from that anti-Israel expert is not necessarily a contradition of what Ahmadinejad said later.
Look at it more closely. When this expert says that Ahmadinejad is not looking for a Nazi-like extermination but rather an end to the “occupation regime,” what he/she is saying is that Ahmadinejad doesn’t want all the Jews to die, but for Israel as a state to be destroyed. That, apparently, is acceptable to the expert.
Ahmadinejad’s later call for Israel to be wiped off the map can again be read as a desire for the state to go. Of course, that would also mean that all or most Jews there would be killed, but the expert apparently wouldn’t want to get into the technicalities.
And the U.N. says:
“….”
Just wondering … how certain is the translation of Ahmadinejad’s line?
“Israel cannot continue…” could be interpreted as a hypothetical, little different from the wishful thinking that many pundits indulge in all the time. Someone who takes that line of thought could argue that he didn’t mean “we will destroy Israel,” he meant “Israel will eventually fall for many reasons, which may or may not include armed attack.”
On the other hand, if what he said is more like “must not continue” or “will not continue” or “will not be allowed to continue”, then that strikes me as a much more explicit threat, something he can’t later claim was misinterpreted.
Sorry, calling for Israel’s desruction is not an idiosyncrasy of Gorilla Boy, but a bipartisan aim of the whole Iranian mullahcracy and its sockpuppet supporters. Years ago Rafsanjani, who was recently elected as head of the Council of Experts, said that when “Islam” got a bomb they would lob one at Tel Aviv. His point was that Israel could be destroyed with one bomb but “Islam” would not be destroyed no matter how much retaliation Israel threw at them. Ayatollah Khomenei said that he and his fellow fanatics did not care about Iran, let it burn if necessary for the triumph of Islam he said. Patriotism is idolatry to him. From what I’ve read, however, the Iranian people are not too keen on being fried in the nuclear exchange. If they want to avoid that they must overthrow these scum as soon as possible, before they start throwing nukes around. For then it will be too late, not only for the targets of the Ayatollahs (which are likely to include the US and Britain as well as Israel), but also for the Iranians.
Actually, Joanne, Cole says in the next paragraph at the link that he believes Israel should exist. To his credit, he doesn’t like Israel, but neither does he call for its destruction via the “one-state” solution. Credit where it’s due.
Meryl,
I think Cole said that just to insulate himself from controversy. He would be overjoyed if Israel “ceased to exist”, though he would try to cover it up with a lot of smarmy, pious, dishonest rhetoric because that is what he does best.
I’m sick and tired of the monkey president getting away with verbal threats being parsed. The world doesn’t need to know what the definition of “is” is. Clinton got away with it because he’s slick. Ahmidinejad is just…SICK!
The puppet leader of Iran knows full well the range of interpretations a phrase will get. If he didn’t mean it, he should have shut his mouth.
His messianic vision for Islam will not stand. This ‘religion – spread by the sword – will perish by it. Israel will continue to bloom and the days for Ahmidinejad’s Iran are numbered. He will continue his thousand pricks with increasing force by the means of his stooges, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas until he awakens the sleeping giant.
I totally agree with Gary Rosen!
At this point in time, the left wing is still trying to be somewhat rationale by not calling for Israel to be destroyed. I am not sure if its lip service to prevent a complete rebellion by rationale liberals, or if this is what they actually want. Either way, they are doing everything they can to demonize Israel piecemeal and I refuse to support any of them, or their #$%% organizations.
By the way, happy new year, and peace and health to all!
Nevertheless, Gary, he did say it. Just like Jimmy Carter says it, and half the world’s Israel-haters say it. You can accuse them of thinking it, but you can’t accuse them of saying what they didn’t say.
I don’t believe Juan Cole wants 5.9 Israeli Jews to be murdered, or even pushed out of Israel. And I can’t stand the man’s views on Israel and America. But I don’t think he’s that distorted.
Some other people, like David Duke—no question, he’d shed no tears at the murder of Jews. He’d pretend to. But he hates us on a visceral level. Cole is just another LLL with a college platform.
Though it can be argued he does far more damage to Jews than the likes of Duke. He’s part of the machine that has demonized Israel on college campuses these last two decades.
It’s creepy how similar Ahmadinejad is in his rhetoric to Jimmy Carter and alot of other “progressives” in America.
People of Iran; Take control of your nation and destiny and Rise up against your slave masters, or burn with them when those of us who refuse to be abused by them have to resort to the only options we will soon have left.
How can anyone take sides with Iran here?
Yes, sadly WAR is coming, thanks to Irans stand here.