H.E. Mr. Gérard Araud
President of the Security Council
United Nations
New York
 
Excellency, 

Over the past several days, the most senior Iranian leaders have issued yet another series of outrageous statements, which called for the destruction of Israel and spread the vile antisemitism that forms the core of their ideology.

Yesterday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, publicly stated that "Zionism is a danger for entire humanity" and that Israel "is a cancerous tumor…in [the] heart of [the] Muslim world."

In remarks last Friday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the "the very existence of the Zionist regime is…an affront to all world nations" - and called on "all human communities to wipe out this scarlet letter, meaning the Zionist regime, from the forehead of humanity."

Iran's President repeated a number of antisemitic conspiracy theories and slurs, including that "the two world wars were designed by Zionists ... [who] have been inflicting very heavy damage and suffering on the whole humanity for over two thousand years."

On the same day, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the Aero-Space Forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, threatened that Iran would take action to destroy Israel, saying "the forged regime will be wiped out of the map and thrown into the trash bin of history forever."

These are just a few examples of the hate speech that we heard echoing from the pulpits, podiums, and television sets in Iran during the past several days. Iran - a member state of the United Nations - continues to declare that it seeks the destruction of Israel, another UN Member State.

As Israel has made clear in our previous letters to the Security Council, complacency in the face of Iranian hate speech and incitement is dangerous. The delusional statements of Iran's leaders are not those of crazy people, but rational fanatics, with irrational hatreds. One can only imagine what such an extremist regime would do if it got its hands on the world's most dangerous weapons.

There are certain times when silence is not an option. We expect the Security Council and all responsible members of the international community to condemn Iranian hate speech without any further delay.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter distributed as an official document of the Security Council. I wish to inform you that an identical letter has been sent to H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Allow me, Excellency, to renew to you the assurances of my highest consideration.

Yours truly,

[Signed]

Israel Nitzan
Minister-Counsellor
Charges d'Affairs, a.i.