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.
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