22/08/2012 (Agence Europe) - European condemnation of threats against Israel. High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton strongly condemned on Saturday 18 August “the outrageous and hateful remarks threatening Israel's existence” by the supreme leader and the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. “Israel's right to exist must not be called into question”, she added. Ashton urged Iran “to play a constructive role” in the region and she expects its leaders to contribute to the de-escalation of tension and not to fuel it. The day before, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had said during a speech that “the very fact of the existence of Israel is an insult to humanity, and we need to finish with this State”. He added that “the Zionist regime is a cancerous tumour”. Two days earlier the Ayatollah Khamenei had predicted the imminent disappearance of Israel, “an artificial Zionist outgrowth” (our translation throughout). (CG/transl.fl)