President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad c/- Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
151 Te Anau Road Hataitai

Wellington

19 December 2005

Mr President

Your comments casting doubt on the Holocaust, and calling for Israelis to be relocated to Europe and North America are totally unacceptable to New Zealand, New Zealanders and the New Zealand Jewish community Our Foreign Minister, Rt. Hon Winston Peters, speaking for New Zealand’s Government, has responded to your comments, describing them as "aggressive and totally unacceptable to the international community."

There are members of the Jewish community here who suffered the horrors of Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen and other death camps. You have publicly proclaimed them as liars. Many New Zealand Jews had family members murdered by the Nazi German regime and its allies, among the nearly six million Jews who were killed between 1933 and 1945 because they were Jews. You say these things did not happen. This is unpardonable.

On 1 November 2005 Iran was present when the United Nations General Assembly unanimously agreed to Reject any denial of the Holocaust as an historical event, either in full or part.

You are betraying your nation’s international commitment, falsifying history and as the leader of a Muslim nation of 68 million people you are encouraging hatred of Jews in the Islamic world.

For the sake of international peace, the credibility of Iran and the safety of the Jewish people, including the New Zealand Jewish community, we request that you withdraw your statements and apologise. Stephen Goodman President New Zealand Jewish Council

Stephen Goodman
President of New Zealand Jewish Council

ENDS

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