Jordan Times
Tuesday, November 1, 2005
Iranian prime minister's statement not helpful to peace process — Muasher
AMMAN (JT) — The government on Monday said that
populist statements such as those made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
do not help the peace process.
During his weekly press conference yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Marwan
Muasher described the Iranian president's statement that Israel should be “wiped
off the map” as “a sentimental statement that speaks to people's emotions and
does not promote the peace process.”
Muasher, also government spokesperson, said all Arab countries have agreed on
the Arab peace initiative whose goal is to end the Israeli occupation and reach
a final settlement based on a two-state solution.
Ahmadinejad called for Israel to be “wiped off the map” last Wednesday at The
World Without Zionism conference in Tehran.
He again defended his statement in front of tens of thousands of Iranians during
a protest rally last Friday against the Jewish state in the Iranian capital.
The statement provoked a wave of international condemnation from the US and the
European Union, as well as from Russia, a key backer of Iran's controversial
nuclear programme.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Ahmadinejad's call reflects
the unspoken wish of many in the Middle East, Agence France-Presse reported.