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TEHRAN, Oct 28 (AFP): Friday dismissed international condemnation of his call for Israel to be "wiped off the map" as tens of thousands of Iranians massed to condemn the Jewish state.
"They are free to talk but their words do not have any validity. It is natural that if a word is right and just it will provoke a reaction," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the official news agency IRNA.
The hardline pres e of the central dogma of the Islamic regime in Iran, but Ahmadinejad's fiery speech was the first time in years that such a high-ranking official has openly demanded Israel's destruction.
His comments have been hugely damaging for Iran, already under intense Western pressure over its nuclear energy programme -- suspected as being a cover for weapons development -- and facing the prospect of seeing the issue referred to the UN Security Council.
But Iran, which insists its nuclear intentions are peaceful, remains unapologetic -- and banners saying "Israel must be wiped off the map" were also seen outside Tehran University.
Other slogans used included "Peaceful nuclear energy is our legitimate right" and "The only way to combat the Zionist enemy is resistance and Jihad".
"What Ahmadinejad said is the sentiment of all Iranians," asserted Amir Hosseini, a 45-year-old Revolutionary Guards officer taking part in the rally.
But he asserted there was "no need for military action" against Israel: "What Ahmadinejad said was that elections should be held for Palestinian self-determination."
One Shiite clergyman taking part, Mehdi Abu Talebi, told AFP that the real issue was that of "the genocide of the Palestinians" -- adding that he was also sure that the holocaust under Germany's Nazi regime never even happened.
Revolutionary Guards spokesman Seyed Massoud Jazihiri has also backed Ahmadinejad by describing Israel as a "cancerous tumour".
Iranian media has largely ignored the international furore, while state television was Friday broadcasting continuous footage of Palestinians being beaten, shot or arrested by Israeli troops.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he felt "a real sense of revulsion" over Ahmadinejad's comments.
"If they continue down this path, then people are going to believe that they are a real threat to our world security and stability," he told reporters after a European Union summit near London on Thursday.
In an apparent reference to the United States, Blair said "we will have discussions with our main allies over the next few days" on how to respond to Ahmadinejad's remarks.
"Their attitude towards Israel, their attitude towards terrorism, their attitude towards the nuclear weapons issue -- it isn't acceptable," said Blair.
French President Jacques Chirac was equally upset, calling his Iranian counterpart's words "senseless and irresponsible", while a joint EU statement said the remarks were "inconsistent with any claim to be a mature and responsible member of the international community."
The EU has been trying to lure Iran to abandon its nuclear fuel drive in exchange for trade and other incentives, but Tehran has rejected such a deal and the dialogue has been broken off since August.
Israel, which alleges Iran is seeking nuclear weapons and long-range missiles that could strike at its heart, is pushing for Islamic republic to be thrown out of the United Nations.
UN chief Kofi Annan also expressed "dismay" over the comments by Ahmadinejad, a straight-talking hardliner and Revolutionary Guards veteran who won a shock election win in June.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is Israel's main regional ally, also urged Iran to apply "political sobriety".
Ahmadinejad had also said that "anyone who signs a treaty which recognizes the entity of Israel means he has signed the surrender of the Muslim world," and warned Muslim leaders who recognise Israel that they "face the wrath of their own people."
Meanwhile: A call by Iran's president for an end to the existence of Israel was justified because of "racist" Israeli rule and did not aim to stir up conflict, the Iranian embassy in Moscow said Friday.
In calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map", President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "had no intention of speaking abruptly and entering into conflict," the embassy said in a statement.
What Ahmadinejad meant in his comments, the embassy said, was that the Jewish state restricts the basic democratic rights of Palestinians in an "occupational regime" which is "racist".
Iran believes that if there were free elections among "Jews, Muslims and Christians on this earth, then the existence of a regime based on one kind of race is impossible", the statement argued.
"We value human civilisation and do not think that in the 21st century it is right to support the creation of a government along racial lines.
"We support democracy in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries and we believe that the double standard of the West over problems in the Near East is yet another reason for the lack of peace in this region," the statement said.
The comment by Ahmadinejad stirred a storm of protest in capitals around the world.
Ahmadinejad however stood by his remarks, saying Friday that his call was "right and just."
Russia's foreign ministry described Ahmadinejad's comment as "propaganda rhetoric (which is) ill advised in a region as explosive as the Middle East."
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