TEHRAN — Iran's president-elect called Israel's control of Jerusalem and Palestinian lands a "wound" for the Islamic World in relatively moderate remarks Friday that contrasted with the harsh rhetoric of his predecessor and other leaders. Speaking at an annual pro-Palestinian rally, Hasan Rohani said "In our region and under occupation of Palestine and dear Jerusalem, there has been a wound on the body of the Islamic World." The remarks — two days before Rohani's inauguration — were tame compared to those frequently made by outgoing leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling for the Jewish state's destruction and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who once called the Jewish state a "cancer" that needed to be cut away. But an outcry prompted by a semiofficial news agency that initially quoted Rohani as specifically calling Israel a "wound that should be removed" underscored the challenges facing Rohani who has pledged to follow a "path of moderation." — AP
