Iran cancels annual anti-Israeli conference

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran has cancelled annual anti-Zionism conference that its former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used to promote inflammatory views and make Israel-baiting remarks. In the latest gesture to demonstrate that the country is taking a new diplomatic direction under new president Hassan Rouhani, officials ordered the cancellation of the New Horizon Conference due to take place next month, according to Daily Telegraph.

The Iranian foreign ministry stepped in to cancel the event which was to have featured a former U.S. senator among 63 overseas contributors to the meeting. The decision prompted a wave of hostile comment from hardliners associated with the meeting.

Ahmadinejad caused international outrage by describing the Holocaust as a myth and calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map" a previous conference. But the notoriety of the event drew hordes of notorious extremists to Iran, including the U.S. far-Right leader David Duke.

Foreign delegates at the meetings would queue to meet Ahmadinejad.

By contrast his successor Rouhani has made overtures to the West and in a recent interview acknowledged the historical tragedy of the Holocaust.

Hardliners believe that Rouhani is selling out Iran and have attacked the new leader. Tensions between the new government and its domestic opposition were blamed for the hospitalization of Mohammad Zarif, the foreign minister, with symptoms of stress on Wednesday.

Nader Talebzadeh, the principle organizer, said the cancellation of the conference was "a major mistake on the part of our government".