(New York Times) David D. Kirkpatrick - White House spokesman Jay Carney on Tuesday condemned anti-Semitic comments made by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi before he took office, calling on him to "make clear this kind of rhetoric is not acceptable or productive in a democratic Egypt." In a three-year-old video clip, Morsi urged Egyptians to "nurse our children and our grandchildren on hatred" for Jews and Zionists. In another video from 2010 Morsi referred to "Zionists" as "these bloodsuckers who attack the Palestinians, these warmongers, the descendants of apes and pigs." Carney said: "We completely reject these statements, as we do any language that espouses religious hatred. This kind of discourse has been acceptable in the region for far too long and is counter to the goal of peace." Inflammatory anti-Semitism is a staple of political discourse of all stripes in Egypt.
2013-01-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive