Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left, shakes hands with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at U.N. headquarters yesterday. - AP

NEW YORK (Reuters):

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Israel of occupation and racism yesterday at the start of a visit to New York for the U.N. General Assembly meeting that has sparked protests and anger.

His comments came after he met leaders of an anti-Zionist Jewish group. Mainstream Jewish groups were among those who condemned an invitation by Columbia University for the Iranian leader to speak yesterday at its World Leaders Forum.

"We do not recognise that regime (Israel) because it is based on occupation and racism. It constantly attacks its neighbours," Ahmadinejad said in a video news conference from New York with the National Press Club in Washington, citing recent Israeli military action in Syria and Lebanon.

"It kills people. It drives people from their homes."

He also took a swipe at the United States, saying: "We oppose the way the U.S. government tries to manage the world. We think this method is wrong. It leads to war, discrimination and bloodshed."

But the Iranian leader, who last year railed at the United States in his speech to the General Assembly, played down talk of conflict with the West over Iran's nuclear programme, which the United States says it is using to try to build nuclear weapons.

Propaganda tool

"We think talk of war is a propaganda tool. People who talk have to bring a legal reason for war," he said.

Ahmadinejad's visit and speech at Columbia University provoked anger in some quarters. "The Evil Has Landed" was the front-page headline in New York's Daily News newspaper.

The newspaper reported outrage among U.S. critics who say a Holocaust denier accused by Washington of supporting terrorism should not be given a platform at one of America's most respected universities. Washington also accuses Iran of fuelling violence in Iraq by providing weapons to anti-American militants. Iran denies the charges.