President Shimon Peres spoke in the United Nations General Assembly a day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinajad addressed the same body and called Israel "murderers," "deceitful," and in control of international financial centers.
Peres responded firmly, saying that the Iranian leader, whom he did not mention by name, "is a danger to his people, the region and the world. He is a disgrace to the ancient Iranian people. He is a disgrace to the values of Islam. He is a disgrace to this very house, the United Nations, its basic principles and values. His appearance here is already shame."
Peres said that the Iranian people "are not our enemies," but castigated their leadership for standing "at the center of this violence and fanaticism" and for having "built a danger to the entire world. Its quest for religious hegemony and regional dominance divides the Middle East and holds back chances for peace, while undermining human rights... Their despicable denial of the Holocaust is a mockery of indisputable evidence, a cynical offense to survivors of the horror [and is] contradictory to the resolutions adopted by this assembly." 
"Tehran combines long-range missiles and short-range minds," Peres summed up. 
Accusing Iran of continuing "to develop enriched uranium and long range missiles," Peres said that the leadership "introduce[s] a religion of fear" and is the problem of the Iranian people and a concern of the world.
The Voice of America report noted that US diplomats were not present for Ahmedinajad's speech, adding acerbically that this was despite the Iranian presence during President Bush's speech. Voice of America also barely noted the Iranian leader's tirade against Israel in its 14-paragraph report, waiting until the 13th paragraph to say merely that the speech "included scathing references to Israel."
Iranian Lashes Out
Ahmedinajad said the Arabs of the Palestinian Authority have undergone "60 years of carnage and invasion... at the hands of some criminal and occupying Zionists [who] have forged a regime through collecting people from various parts of the world and bringing them to other people's land, by displacing, detaining and killing the true owners of that land."
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said, "The fact that Ahmedinajad was allowed to speak so hatefully and venomously in the United Nations, and to draw applause, is a badge of shame for the international community."
Peres Against Terrorism
Peres also noted that Israel's peace overtures have been met with Moslem terrorism: "In Lebanon, we implemented resolution 425. Yet Hezbollah paralyzed the country and cut the road to peace... From Gaza, we withdrew completely and dismantled our settlements. Hamas responded with a bloody takeover and turned the strip into a basis of rocket fire... They added kidnapping to bombings, bringing strife for innocent families. From this important stage, I call for the immediate release of Gilad Shalit, the son of Aviva and Noam, a peace-loving family."
"Tehran combines long-range missiles and short-range minds," Peres summed up.
The President concluded with a quote from an 18th-century religious leader whose popularity and influence has grown and intensified in recent years. "The Jewish people are celebrating a new year," Peres said. "I would like to end with a quote from Rabbi Nachman of Breslav: 'May it be Thy will to remove war and bloodshed from the world and perpetuate the wonders and greatness of peace. All the inhabitants of the world shall recognize and know the truth: that we have not been placed on this earth to wage war and not for hatred or bloodshed.'"