Ahmadinejad says Israel has 'no roots' in Middle East history

NEW YORK, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Israel has "no roots" in the history of the Middle East and represents a disturbance for Iran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday.

Ahmadinejad said Iran has been around for thousands of years, but Israel has existed for only 60 or 70 years. He said that for a certain "historical phase" Israel represents a disturbance for Iran and "they are then eliminated."

"They (Israel) have no roots there in history," Ahmadinejad told reporters in New York, where he is due to attend the U.N. General Assembly. "They do not even enter the equation for Iran."