Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had dinner on Thursday with around 200 people of various faiths including Mennonites, Jews and Zoroastrians who said they wanted to promote peace by meeting such a prominent foe of the US.

Outside the Manhattan hotel near the UN where the dinner took place, protesters held up placards such as "No feast with the beast" and likening Mr Ahmadinejad to Hitler.

On Tuesday the Iranian leader railed against "Zionist murderers" in a speech at the UN General Assembly, dwelling on what he described as Zionist control of international finance, echoing the libel that blamed a world Jewish conspiracy for all the world's troubles.

Mr Ahmadinejad rejected accusations he was anti-Semitic, saying his criticism was aimed at the "Zionist regime" for its oppression of the Palestinians rather than at Jews.

"As soon as anyone objects to the behaviour of the Zionist regime, they're accused of being anti-Semitic, whereas the Jewish people are not Zionists," Mr Ahmadinejad said. "Zionism is a political party that has nothing to do with Jewish people."

The Iranian leader gave a lengthy discourse on the need for religion in both private and public life, and the decline of morality in countries where politicians reject religion.

He also dwelled on the woes of the Palestinians and efforts by "selfish powers" to dominate the world and frustrate Iran's peaceful nuclear ambitions at the event billed as a discussion on religion's role in eliminating poverty, injustice and war.

"A lot of it was very challenging," said Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb who was also a speaker. She said that while Mr Ahmadinejad had not denied the Holocaust in his speech, he had minimised it in the way he spoke about World War II.

Mr Ahmadinejad has said Israel should be wiped off the map. His government held a conference in 2006 questioning the fact that Nazis used gas chambers to kill six million Jews in World War II.

"Our world views are rather different. But unless we ... dialogue face to face, how will we create any kind of understanding?" said Mr Gottlieb, adding that she chose to attend because "peace is better than war."

Arli Klassen, executive director of the Mennonite Central Committee, introduced the discussion by saying armed conflict would solve nothing and dialogue was essential, especially with those whose views were most different.