Israeli PM says swearing in of new Iranian president won't change country's nuclear aspirations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the swearing in of Hasan Rouhani as the new Iranian president wouldn't change what he believes are Tehran's goals.

"The President of Iran said the day before yesterday that Israel is a wound in the body of Islam," apparently referring to comments made by Rouhani on Friday that were misquoted by the semiofficial Iranian news agency ISNA.

ISNA initially quoted Rouhani as calling Israel a "wound that should be removed," but later said it was a misquote, confirmed by state TV footage of Rouhani's comment reviewed by The Associated Press.

What Iran's president-elect called a "wound" for the Islamic world was Israel's control of Jerusalem and Palestinian lands, a relatively moderate remark that contrasted with the harsh rhetoric of his predecessor and other Iranian leaders.

Speaking to reporters during an annual pro-Palestinian rally, Rouhani said: "In our region and under occupation of Palestine and dear Jerusalem, there has been a wound on the body of the Islamic world."

The comments, two days before Rouhani's inauguration, were tame compared with those frequently made by outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling for Israel's destruction.

Nevertheless, the mishap underscored the challenges facing the incoming president, who was elected in June with pledges to seek a calmer and more balanced outreach to the West.

It is Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard who control Iranian policies, and the supreme leader has final say in all key matters.

"The President in Iran may have changed but the goal of the regime has stayed the dame. Iran's intention is to develop a nuclear capability, nuclear weapons whose purpose is to destroy Israel," said Netanyahu.

His comments were echoed by those by Silvan Shalom, the Israeli Minister for Regional Development. "To deal with Rouhani is to deal with Ahmadinejad - they are the same," he said.

Rouhani will effectively be the international face of Iran and has made no secret of his desire to project a new image of dialogue rather than diatribes.

It remains to be seen to what extent he will be able to persuade the ruling clerics and military that interaction with Washington and its allies over Iran's nuclear program could bring dividends such as easing painful sanctions.

Israel has not ruled out a military option against Iran's nuclear facilities, which the West suspects are geared toward making a nuclear weapon.

Tehran denies the charge and insists its nuclear program is meant for peaceful purposes only.

The Iranian leadership has long maintained harsh views on Israel, backing anti-Israeli factions such as Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group.

But it now appears to recognize that Ahmadinejad's fiery denunciations of Israel and his questioning the extent of the Holocaust needlessly outraged the West and did not advance Iran's national interests.

Rouhani appears to be trying to man-oeuvre in the tight space allotted in Iran's power structure. He is making clear that he stands with Iran's uncompromising positions on Israel but is also backing away from Ahmadinejad's fist-waving approach.

Iran does not recognize Israel and has since the 1979 Islamic Revolution observed the last Friday of the Islamic month of Ramadan as "Al-Quds Day." Tehran says the occasion is meant to express support for Palestinians and emphasize the importance of Jerusalem for Muslims.

Jerusalem's eastern sector houses sensitive Jewish, Christian and Muslim shrines and is sacred to all three religions. Jerusalem is the holiest place in Judaism and the third holiest city in Islam, after the Saudi Arabian cities of Mecca and Medina.


AP