Feelgood Khatami at Davos

Mohammad Khatami has been pressing flesh at Davos, specifically that of Yediot Ahronot's senior economic editor, Sever Plotsker.

When Plotsker introduced himself as an Israeli journalist, Mr Khatami shook his hand and said: "I want to visit your country." Israel is listed on Iranian passports as forbidden to visit.

He got all avuncular about Moshe Katsav, the Israeli president, who was born in Iran and may be about face prosecution on several charges of rape.

"Tell me, please, what are you doing over there to my townsman? What are you doing to Moshe, Moshe Katsav?"

And then there was this.

When Plotsker asked about the recent conference of Holocaust deniers in Tehran, Mr Khatami said: "Write my words down exactly. I totally condemn that conference. The Holocaust of the Jewish people was the greatest sin against mankind in our time. There isn't a shadow of a doubt about it being a fact. I recommend to everybody to take this subject off the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab agenda. The Israeli-Palestinian dispute must be solved with consideration of the interests of both sides."

No idea what to make of this. Is it just for Western consumption? Is it reported back home? And was it Khatami who charmed John Kerry's foot back into his mouth?

Kerry criticized the Bush administration's foreign policy during the session, saying it has caused the United States to become 'a sort of international pariah.'