BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

25/05/2007

Belarus Jews denounce Iranian's visit

A Jewish leader in Belarus criticized a surprise visit to his country by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Yakov Basin, deputy head of the Union of Jewish Associations of Belarus, said he was "strongly opposed" to the Iranian president's two-day visit this week at the invitation of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, the European Jewish Press reported.

"How is it possible to invite a person, the leader of a state, who thinks that in order to resolve the Middle East problem it is necessary to destroy a whole state and people?" asked Basin.

"It's shameful to talk with a man who today plays the role of a modern Hitler," he added.

Lukashenko has already visited Iran twice, but has not visited any European country recently. The E.U. has introduced a travel ban on Lukashenko, who leads what has been dubbed "Europe's last dictatorship."

Source:

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/102002.html

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