Iranian President Mohammed Khatami’s softened rhetoric toward the United States was not matched by his comments about Israel during a groundbreaking interview with CNN. Khatami lashed out against the Jewish state for being a “racist regime which does not even have the backing of the Jewish people.” He also broadly condemned terrorism, but defended Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad for their war against Israel. When asked about the killing of women and children on Israel’s streets, Khatami said, “Any killing of innocents not involved in confrontations must be condemned.”
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