EGYPTIAN MINISTER OF CULTURE'S ANTI-ISRAELI REMARKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001050 SIPDIS DRL/SEAS FOR RICKMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2018 TAGS: PHUM PREL KIRF UNESCO EG IS SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN MINISTER OF CULTURE'S ANTI-ISRAELI REMARKS Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Catherine Hill-Herndon for reason 1.4 (d). 1.(C) The Israeli Embassy in Cairo has expressed concern to us regarding reports that Egypt's long-serving Minister of Culture Farouk Hosny threatened to burn Israeli books in the Alexandria Biblioteca. According to Beni Shirony, Political Section Chief at Israel's Embassy in Cairo, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni raised the issue during a May 18 meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Shirony reported that despite Aboul Gheit's assurances that Hosny's comments were misinterpreted, Livni told him that Israel currently intends to block Hosny's ongoing candidacy to lead UNESCO. (Note: UNESCO will elect a new secretary-general in ¶2009. End note.) 2.(SBU) According to media reports, Hosny's comments came in response to accusations made by Muslim Brotherhood (MB) affiliated member of parliament Mohsen Rady. Rady allegedly accused Hosny of favoring normalization of relations with Israel, and being responsible for the presence of three Israeli-authored books in the Biblioteca Alexandria. Hosny reportedly responded by saying "show me these novels if they exist and I will burn them in front of you...I am not against Jews or normalization provided that comprehensive and real peace is achieved." 3.(C) Comment: Hosny has close ties to the Mubarak family and we expect the GoE will continue to vigorously support his UNESCO candidacy. Hosny has made controversial statements in the past. For example, he came under intense criticism in November 2006, especially from the MB, when he labeled the hijab as "backwards" and said it "handicapped" Egypt's women. SCOBEY