September 23, 2008 -- New York -- The American Jewish Committee (AJC) deplores Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's anti-Semitic remarks before the United Nations General Assembly today, and calls upon all responsible nations to explicitly condemn them.

"Today, President Ahmadinejad has left no doubt that he hates Jews," said AJC Executive Director David A. Harris. "His violent bigotry is made all the more threatening by Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions."

Ahmadinejad's address was rife with obvious anti-Semitic stereotypes, including his descriptions of a covert Jewish "network" that controls the media, dominates financial markets, and deviously starts wars. His comment that "the Zionist regime is on a definite slope to collapse" echoed his previous calls for Israel to be "wiped off the map."

"As he seeks to build the deadliest weapons on earth, a proud anti-Semite has hijacked the United Nations to broadcast hate," said Harris. "We call upon the international community to start applying pressure commensurate with the threat posed by President Ahmadinejad, and to stop doing business as usual with the country he represents."