The Iranian government said Monday Israeli authorities were trying to overshadow President Mohammad Khatami's idea of civilizational dialogue by alleging he had shaken hands with Israeli President Moshe Katsav.
"The Israeli propaganda in this respect is aimed at overshadowing the key role of Mr. Khatami in promoting the idea of 'dialogue among civilizations', but the Zionists' efforts in portraying a violent picture of Iran have not borne fruit," Government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh said Monday.
Israeli media have quoted Katsav as saying that he shook hands with President Khatami at Pope John Paul II's funeral on Friday.
Iran has bluntly rejected the allegations, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi stating Sunday that "the Zionist regime is trying to gain legitimacy by disseminating fabricated news."
Khatami himself strongly denied he had shaken hands with Katsav and spoken with him at Pope John Paul II's funeral at the Vatican.
