TEHRAN, May 14: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned on Wednesday that Muslims would uproot Israel at the first opportunity, saying the Jewish state was “dying,” a local news agency reported.His comments coincided with the arrival in Israel of US President George W. Bush to mark the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state.

“They (Israel) must know that the nations of the region hate this counterfeit regime,” Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency in a speech in the northern province of Golestan.

“And if there is the slightest chance, they will uproot this counterfeit regime,” said Ahmadinejad, who since becoming president in 2005 has repeatedly provoked international outrage by predicting Israel is doomed to disappear. He has also caused controversy by playing down the scale of the Holocaust.

“They must know that the Zionist regime is on the verge of dying... throwing a birthday party for this regime is like having a birthday party for a dead person,” said the outspoken president.—AFP