Egyptian's UNESCO candidacy opposed by Zionists

As competition for the top post at UNESCO heats up, pro-Israeli groups have engaged in an all-campaign to ensure the Egyptian candidate does not win.

Various European Zionist groups and personalities are demonizing Egypt's Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, one of the top candidates for the post, with such labels as 'anti-Semitic', extreme and “conflictual,” according to a Wednesday article in the Washington Post.

The article contributes the Jewish allegations against Hosni to the minister's alleged last year comments that he would burn Israeli books if he found them in Egyptian libraries.

"We believe his candidacy is a difficult one, a conflictual one. In the past, he has made comments that he has retracted," said Nicolas Stofermacher, the spokesman for the Paris-based European Jewish Congress.

"Those comments were of a very specific anti-Semitic nature. As a political organization that democratically represents European Jewish communities, we cannot support a candidacy such as this one."

Hosni, 71, who has served as Egypt's culture minister for the past two decades, offered his apologies three months ago as the race for heading the Paris-based UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization got momentum.

The famous Zionist writer and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, widely known as a propagandist for Israeli interests, has also shared his input on Hosni's candidacy through the Israeli daily, The Jerusalem Post which quoted him on Monday as saying "He does not deserve to be an international high official as the director of UNESCO."

There are also some western analysts that have come to Hosni's defense, according to the Washington Post, claiming that he would “help fill the cultural gap between the West and the Muslim world.” Some point out that Hosni has shown some “openness, such as pledging to translate works by Israeli writers.”

According to the Post article, “Egypt is beginning to renovate its synagogues, as part of the country's heritage.”

Yet, the paper argues, that the cultural minister has an ample record of “showing opposition towards Israel” by repeatedly conditioned normalization with Israel on resolving the Palestinian issue.

Nine candidates from Latin America, Europe and Africa are competing together to win the race and occupy the seat of the outgoing Japanese head Koichiro Matsuura.

The main contenders are Farouk and the European Union's external affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.