Iranian leader's speech prompts walkout at UN racism conference

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad drew condemnation from world leaders and the Vatican Monday for a speech at the opening of the UN anti-racism conference in Geneva in which he accused the West of using the Holocaust as a "pretext" for aggression against Palestinians.

His half hour speech blamed the United States and Europe for helping to establish Israel after World War II at the expense of Palestinians.

"They resorted to military aggression to make an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering," he said. Ahmadinejad went on to accuse Israel of being the "most cruel and repressive racist regime."

His comments prompted a walkout by about 40 diplomats from Britain, France and other European countries that had threatened to leave the conference if it became a forum to harshly criticize Israel.

The United States, Canada and Israel are among eight nations that have refused to attend the conference fearing it would descent into the same anti-Semitic behaviour that marred the last racism conference eight year ago in South Africa.

Outside, protesters held placards reading "This is a circus. A racist cannot fight racism," and repeatedly interrupted the speech with shouts of "Shame! shame!" and "Racist! racist!"

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon had a meeting with Ahmadinejad before his speech and apapealed to him to avoid divisiveness at the conference. Ban later expressed disappointment that the Iranian leader used his speech "to accuse, divide and even incite."

In Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated Holocaust Memorial Day with a pledge not to allow Holocaust deniers to carry out a second Holocaust against the Jewish people. And he described a Geneva conference as an anti-Israel event.

He also criticized the president of Switzerland for meeting Ahmadinejad, whom he called a Holocaust denier who wants to perpetrate another massacre of Jews.

"We will not allow the Holocaust deniers to carry out another Holocaust against the Jewish people. This is the supreme duty of the state of Israel. This is my supreme duty as prime minister of Israel", Netanyahu said.

President Shimon Peres was also critical of the anti-racism conference for hosting Ahmadinejad. "It's an absolute disgrace," Peres said.

Alejandro Wolff, the U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations, denounced the speech as "vile and hateful", saying it showed disregard for the UN "and does a grave injustice to the Iranian nation and the Iranian people."

The Vatican said called Ahmadinejad's comments "extremist and unacceptable".