United Nations, NY – Diplomats Walk Out as Iran Slams Israel at UN

United Nations, NY – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparked a walk-out by diplomats on Wednesday night as he used the podium of the United Nations annual summit to accuse Israel of “inhuman policies” and of dominating world political and economic affairs.

“The awakening of nations and the expansion of freedom worldwide will no longer allow them [Israel] to continue their hypocrisy and vicious attitudes,” he said in prepared remarks.

“How can one imagine that the inhuman policies in Palestine may continue?”

The Iranian leader said it was time for the world to respond.

Empty Seats At Ahmadinejad’s UN Speech

“It is no longer acceptable that a small minority would dominate the politics, economy and culture of major parts of the world by its complicated networks, and establish a new form of slavery, and harm the reputation of other nations, even European nations and the U.S., to attain its racist ambitions,” he said.

His remarks prompted many diplomats to leave the assembly room, leaving vast areas of empty chairs. The UN even controlled the live video of Mr. Ahmadinejad’s speech.

The U.S. delegation that walked out later described the speech as “hateful, offensive, anti-Semetic rhetoric.”

The Canadian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, said in advance it would walk out of the chamber before Mr. Ahmadinejad began talking.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended the Canadian gesture.

“Canada makes its own decisions on these matters,” he said in Ottawa. “There is no way I am going to permit any official of the Government of Canada to be present and give any legitimacy to remarks by a leader like that.”

In the text of his speech, Mr. Ahmadinejad did not mention Tehran’s stand-off with Western powers over his nuclear ambitions.

But he accused foreign forces of spreading “war, bloodshed, aggression, terror and intimidation” in the Middle East, citing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He also appeared to brush off opposition accusations that his re-election in June was a fraud.

“Our nation has gone through a glorious and fully democratic election, opening a new chapter for our country in the march towards national progress and enhanced international interactions,” he said, adding that Iranian voters “entrusted me once more with a large majority.”