Skip to main content

Iran: Israel

Volume 474: debated on Monday 31 March 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Government of Iran on President Ahmadinejad's recent statement on the Holocaust. (197447)

Iranian President Ahmadinejad's statements questioning the holocaust and calling for Israel to be ‘wiped off the map’ are deplorable and the Government have consistently condemned them. Although we have seen no reports of recent statements by President Ahmadinejad on the holocaust, we have made clear that such comments are wholly unacceptable and have no place in civilised political debate. These kind of comments damage Iran’s reputation and undermine international confidence that Iran is willing to act as a respectable member of the international community. The Minister for the Middle East, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells) placed copies of statements condemning Iranian questioning of the holocaust and anti-Israeli comments in the Library of the House, following the written answer he gave to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 19 March 2008, Official Report, column 1193W