United Nations General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann said Tuesday that the United States has demonized Iran, and downplayed Iranian threats against the State of Israel. Asked about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's threats to “wipe Israel off the map,” Brockmann said, “If he said that, it's lamentable” but added, “words as such don't kill.”

Brockmann also harshly criticized Israel, saying he generally recalls South African apartheid when viewing Israel's relationship with the Palestinian Authority. Brockmann, a Catholic priest from Nicaragua who has been highly critical of Israel during his term, insisted that his criticism did not stem from dislike of Israel or the Jewish people, saying, “In fact, they are very high on my list of people that I love.”