Protests target Ahmadinejad

Thursday 5th June 2008


Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was met with mass protests by Jewish leaders and human rights groups this week as he attended a UN meeting in Rome on his first visit to Europe since becoming Iranian president.

Protestors waved Israeli flags, shouted Israel’s name, and handed out leaflets proclaiming in Italian “We Don’t Want You” outside the summit on Tuesday, where Ahmadinjead was attending a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation meeting.

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Arriving at the meeting, Ahmadinejad wasted no time launching into yet another attack on Israel. He said: “European peoples have suffered the greatest damage from Zionists and today the costs of this false regime, be they political or economic costs, are on Europe's shoulders.”

Nearby in Rome’s City Hall, The Union of Italian Jewish Communities, Italian politicians, equality campaigners and Iranian exiles held a “Free-Iran” sit-in and heard speeches highlighting the threat of the leader.

President of Rome’s Jewish community Ricardo Pacifici told the Jewish News: “It is an historical event for Roman people to start a new campaign to highlight that the nuclear activity of Iran is a danger not only for Israel but especially the people of Europe. These arms could arrive in a capital like Athens, Rome, Paris or Madrid. It’s not a fantasy but a reality. It is important that public opinion in Europe understands the need to stop Iran’s nuclear activity and ensure freedom for the Iranian people, Israeli people and especially for democracy in Europe.”

Claudia De Benedetti, spokesperson for the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, added: “He is an enemy of the State of Israel and the whole Jewish world and this is why we don’t accept any way of letting him understand he is welcome in our country. We don’t think he should be welcomed.”

Rome’s Mayor Gianni Alemanno dimmed the external lights of the City Hall plaza, designed by artist Michelangelo, for 15 minutes on Tuesday night in protest.
Ahmadinejad was allowed into the country under UN auspices, but was snubbed by Italian President Silvio Berlusconi and representatives from abroad, while the Vatican rejected requests for a meeting.

Opposition to Ahmadinejad’s presence was expressed worldwide. The Zionist Federation in London held a meeting with Italian Ambassador to the UK Giancarlo Aragona to register its concerns. ZF President Eric Moonman told the Jewish News: “The Ambassador was keen to assure the Jewish community that no special arrangements have been made for the visit of the Iranian president.

His government was concerned by the repeated calls by the Iranian president for Israel to be destroyed. Apart from anything else, his country has good relations with Israel and the Jewish people and intends to keep it that way. It is worth noting that the keynote dinner in Rome which took place on Tuesday night did not carry an invite for the Iranian president.”

World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder said: “It is deplorable that a leader like him, who is failing both his own people and the international community, is allowed to hijack the agenda of this important FAO conference.”
Meanwhile, during a visit to America, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert used an address to the Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington to call on the international community to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions “by all possible means”.

He called for stronger sanctions on dealings with the country: “The long-term cost of a nuclear Iran greatly outweighs the short-term benefits of doing business with Iran.”

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