A speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling Israel a racist state was vile and fed racial hatred but did not preclude US-Iranian diplomatic contacts, the United States said on Monday. Ahmadinejad prompted a walkout of a number of delegations during his speech earlier in the day at a UN conference on racism in Geneva when he accused Israel of establishing a "cruel and repressive racist regime" over Palestinians.
"I can't think of any other word than shameful," US Deputy Ambassador Alejandro Wolff said, adding that it was a "vile and hateful speech." "It does a grave injustice to the Iranian nation and the Iranian people, and we call on the Iranian leadership to show much more measured, moderate, honest and constructive rhetoric when dealing with issues in the region," he said.
The Geneva summit had already been badly undermined by a boycott by the United States and some of its major allies over concerns that it would be used as a platform for attacks against Israel. Despite the criticism, the State Department said it was still looking to open diplomatic talks with Iran in keeping with US President Barack Obama's policy of engagement.
Meanwhile, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon deplored Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech attacking Israel's "totally racist government" during a UN anti-racism meeting. "I deplore the use of this platform by the Iranian President to accuse, divide and even incite. This is the opposite of what this conference seeks to achieve," said Ban in a statement.
Ban met Ahmadinejad before the Iranian president was due to address the meeting. "I reminded the President that the UN General Assembly had adopted the resolutions to revoke the equation of Zionism with racism and to reaffirm the historical facts of the Holocaust respectively," he said. "It is deeply regrettable that my plea to look to the future of unity was not heeded by the Iranian President," Ban added.
When addressing a UN conference against racism, Ahmadinejad criticised the creation of a "totally racist government in occupied Palestine" in 1948, calling it "the most cruel and racist regime". His remarks prompted 23 European Union delegations to walk out of the conference room in protest.