Ahmadinejad: Israel Will Be "Eliminated"

In New York, Defiant Ahmadinejad Says Israel Will Be 'Eliminated'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be "eliminated," ignoring a U.N. warning to avoid incendiary rhetoric ahead of the annual General Assembly session.Ahmadinejad also said he did not take seriously the threat that Israel could launch a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, denied sending arms to Syria, and alluded to Iran's threats to the life of British author Salman Rushdie.
"Iran has been around for the last seven, 10 thousand years. They (the Israelis) have been occupying those territories for the last 60 to 70 years, with the support and force of the Westerners. They have no roots there in history," he said, referring to the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948."We do believe that they have found themselves at a dead end and they are seeking new adventures in order to escape this dead end. Iran will not be damaged with foreign bombs," Ahmadinejad said, speaking through an interpreter at his Manhattan hotel."We don't even count them as any part of any equation for Iran. During a historical phase, they (the Israelis) represent minimal disturbances that come into the picture and are then eliminated."In 2005, Ahmadinejad called Israel a "tumor" and echoed the words of the former Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, by saying that Israel should be wiped off the map.

Arresting Ahmadinejad In New York For Inciting Genocide? It's Just Not Going To Happen, Says Israeli Official

As troubled as supporters of Israel might be by the annual sight of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, there is nothing Israel, the United States or anybody else can do against it, Israeli officials said.
While US authorities have reportedly barred some 20 members of the Iranian delegation from entering the country, including two ministers, about 140 Iranian delegates received their visas and entered the US for the Assembly — including Ahmadinejad himself, who is set to speak on Wednesday. US authorities did not comment on the exclusions as visa matters are strictly confidential.

“Leaders of UN member states are protected by diplomatic immunity,” an Israeli official told The Times of Israel. As a head of state, Ahmadinejad’s right to appear at the UN in New York is enshrined in the contract the US signed with the UN in 1947. Section 15 of the US Headquarters Agreement stipulates that the principal representatives of UN members are entitled “to the same privileges and immunities” diplomats have.
In other words, Washington has no right to restrict Ahmadinejad’s movement as long as it is related to visiting the UN. Iran’s president could not, however, go on afterwards to a ski trip in Utah or visit the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
Other Israeli officials agreed that it was impossible to arrest Ahmadinejad in New York but added that Jerusalem spoke to US, UN and other officials urging them to get up and walk out of the General Assembly hall as soon as his speech turns to the usual vitriol against the West and Israel.

Video: Israeli Delegation Walks Out Of Ahmadinejad's UN Speech - But The U.S. Doesn't?

Via Gateway Pundit and Breitbart.com. I haven’t seen any news stories yet that explicitly say that the U.S. delegation stayed put, but there are several on the wires mentioning Israel’s walkout with no other countries mentioned so it seems safe to assume. “Walkout theater” has always seemed pointless to me but both sides do it so it’s part of the diplomatic arsenal during “UN week” in September — which is what makes this interesting. Maybe it’s nothing, but note that Americans walked out on A-jad in both 2010 and 2011, back when the U.S and Israel were far more simpatico on Iranian nukes. Was sitting through Dinnerjacket’s latest deep thoughts about the scourge of Zionism and the unsolved mystery of the Holocaust a small signal to Iranian diplomats that we’re decoupled from Israel and therefore shouldn’t be held responsible if Netanyahu orders a raid on Iran tomorrow?
Before you say “maybe!”, two caveats. One: This isn’t the Ahmadinejad speech this week. He’s due to take his turn in the roll call of world leaders addressing the General Assembly on Wednesday. Today’s address was at a special meeting devoted to, uh … the rule of law. (He flashed the peace sign too, so in case you were worried about Iran’s intentions, rest easy.) If Obama wants to make a show of turning America’s back on Ahmadinejad, he still has an opportunity on Wednesday. Two: The White House did condemn the eliminationist chum that Ahmadinejad was tossing to Middle Eastern media before his speech