Morsi tries to defuse flap over Jews slur
2013-01-17 11:38
Cairo - Egypt's Islamist president sought on Wednesday to
defuse Washington's anger over his past remarks urging hatred of Jews and
calling Zionists "pigs" and "bloodsuckers", telling
visiting US senators that his comments were a denunciation of Israeli policies.
Both sides appear to want to get beyond the flap: Mohammed
Morsi needs America's help in repairing a rapidly sliding economy, and
Washington can't afford to shun a figure who has emerged as a model of an
Islamist leader who maintains his country's ties with Israel.
US Senator John McCain said a congressional delegation he
led that met with Morsi expressed to him their "strong disapproval"
about his 2010 comments. The delegation and Morsi had a "constructive
discussion" about the remarks, he told reporters.
Still, despite calls by some in Washington to rein in aid to
Egypt's Islamist-led government, McCain said the delegation will press in
Congress for approval of at least $480m in new assistance to Cairo.
Senator Lindsey Graham, also in the delegation, warned that
"the Egyptian economy is going to collapse if something is not done
quickly". He urged Morsi to finalise a repeatedly delayed deal with the
International Monetary Fund for a $4.8bn loan.
The flap was a new twist in Morsi's attempts to reconcile
his background as a veteran of the Muslim Brotherhood — a vehemently
anti-Israeli and anti-US group — and the requirements of his role as head of
state, which include keeping the strategic relationship with Washington.
Morsi's remarks came from a mix of speeches he made in 2010
when he was a leading Brotherhood figure. The remarks were revived when an
Egyptian TV show aired them to highlight and mock Morsi's current policies. On
Tuesday, the White House denounced the comments as "deeply offensive".
In the video, Morsi refers to "Zionists" as
"bloodsuckers who attack Palestinians" as well as "the descendants
of apes and pigs". He says Egyptians should nurse their children on
"hatred for them: for Zionists, for Jews. They must be breast-fed
hatred." He also calls President Barack Obama a liar.
Israeli aggression
Morsi, who came to office in June, told the visiting US
delegation on Wednesday that the remarks were taken out of context, aimed at
criticising Israeli policies, and not Jews, according to presidential spokesperson
Yasser Ali.
Morsi told them distinction must be made between criticism
of what he called the "racist" policies of the Israelis against the
Palestinians and insults against the Jewish faith.
Morsi also told them the remarks were part of a speech
against Israeli aggression in Gaza and "assured them of his respect for
monotheistic religions, freedom of belief and the practice of religions",
Ali said.
Despite the explanation, Morsi went beyond attacking
"Zionists" to directly refer to Jews and used traditional
anti-Semitic slurs like "pigs".
But the explanation was a rare instance when an Islamist was
forced to address criticism of what is routine rhetoric for the Brotherhood.
They and other Islamists often engage in tirades against Israel, sometimes
trying to stick to references to "Zionism" the founding ideology of
Israel, but often slipping into attacks on Jews.
The Brotherhood's leader, Mohammed Badie, recently accused
Jews of corrupting the world and slaughtering the Palestinians. A top leader of
the group last month called on Israelis of Egyptian origin to return, saying
the Jewish state will cease to exist in 10 years.
The Brotherhood has long prided itself on its
non-compromising stand on Israel and that its members were the first to fight
Jewish groups in Palestine in the 1940s. Morsi himself rarely mentions Israel
by name and refuses to meet any Israeli official.
Islamists tend to place the Arab-Israeli conflict in a
religious framework, dating back to the rise of Islam some 1 500 years ago and
conflicts with Jews at the time. Egypt's liberals share the resentment toward
Israel felt by most Egyptians, but are more careful to restrict their criticism
to Israel's policies and not the Jews.
Investors
Still Morsi has promised to abide by Egypt's 1979 peace
treaty with Israel and has continued security cooperation with Israel over the
volatile Sinai Peninsula and their border. In November, Morsi brokered a truce
between the Jewish state and Gaza's Hamas rulers in November, a feat that won
him warm praise from the Americans.
There have been bumps: Morsi's administration was
embarrassed by the leak of a letter sent in his name to Israeli President
Shimon Peres in reply to one he received from him. Morsi withdrew Egypt's
ambassador in Israel in protest against Israel's air campaign against Gaza's
Hamas militants late last year.
The flap over the comments now risks straining ties with
Washington. The US State Department on Tuesday said the remarks complicated
efforts to provide economic and military aid to Egypt.
Egypt's economy has tumbled since the 2011 uprising that
toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Tourism and foreign investment have dried up,
sending Egypt's foreign currency reserves into a tailspin, dropping by more
than half. Now the weakening of Egypt's currency has sped up.
The US gives $1.3bn in annual military assistance to Egypt
since 1979 peace treaty and now gives Egypt $250m annually in economic aid.
Washington is now considering a package of debt relief and further aid to help
salvage the economy.
"All of us are supportive," said McCain. "We
are working hard to try to see that this money is forthcoming."
US goodwill is instrumental for securing the IMF loan, seen
as key to helping close the budget gap and, more importantly, as a stamp of
approval for investors to return.
Egypt's talks with the IMF were derailed when Morsi balked
at implementing highly unpopular tax increases sought under the package. At the
same time, political tension has mounted over the newly adopted constitution
and moves by Morsi that opponents have denounced as a grab of authority.
Democratic progress
Morsi is Egypt's first freely elected president, but
opponents accuse him and the Islamists of trying to sweep up power in the
country.
Last year, McCain called on the US to use aid as leverage to
push for democratic progress in Egypt. But on Wednesday, he called for patience
from the US, saying that expectations of democratic transition are high from
all sides.
"The fact is that the economy of Egypt is in such
condition that it requires expeditious aid to be supplied," the Arizona
Republican said. "It is hard to have democracy when people are not
eating."
The senators said they have also pressed on Morsi on
addressing the criticism by his opponents over the recently adopted
constitution, saying that women and minority rights must be protected. They
also called for allowing international observers to monitor Egypt's upcoming
parliamentary elections, likely to be held this spring.
"You are going to have to explain to the world that
there is a process to amend the constitution," said Graham, a South
Carolina Republican.
Other senators also raised concern about the deteriorating
security situation in Sinai, saying they raised the issue with Morsi and
Egypt's Defence Minister, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
- AP
