American Jewish Committee Urges UN to Condemn Iran's Renewed Threat to Eliminate Israel

NEW YORK, Aug. 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The American Jewish Committee (AJC) called on the United Nations to condemn Iran for its renewed blatant threat to eliminate Israel, and to consider effective actions that would convince the Iranian regime to desist from making these threats.

"The main solution is for the elimination of the Zionist regime," declared Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadjnejad while addressing an emergency meeting today of Muslim leaders in Malaysia regarding Hezbollah and Lebanon.

"How many times does the Iranian president have to remind the world that he seeks the wholesale destruction of Israel before the international community will react with outrage, and take action against him and his government?" asked AJC Executive Director David A. Harris.

"President Ahmadinejad's threat is a sobering reminder of what the Middle East conflict is about and the very real threats that the people of Israel face," said Harris. "While he has made this threat before, the renewed clarion call for Israel's elimination is all the more disturbing when Iran's proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, has launched a war against Israel and is indiscriminately firing hundreds of missiles and rockets, supplied by Tehran, into Israel everyday."

After the Iranian leader made similar threats last October, at the World without Zionism conference in Tehran, the UN Security Council issued a lukewarm press release condemning his remarks regarding Israel and the Holocaust, which he continually denies. However, the Security Council, as a group, could take stronger measures to send a clear message to the Iranian government that this posture is completely unacceptable and violates the UN Charter.

"Israel was founded with the imprimatur of the UN. It is outrageous that one UN member state can call for the annihilation of another UN member state without any concern for diplomatic and political consequences," said Harris.

According to the basic principles of the UN Charter, member- states are committed to "develop friendly relations among nations," to "settle their international disputes by peaceful means," and to "refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."