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| Egypt's Unesco hopeful in book burning row | Egypt's Unesco hopeful in book burning row |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Doubts still surround the prospects for Egypt's candidate to lead Unesco, the UN's cultural arm, despite his public apology for past anti-Israeli remarks. | Doubts still surround the prospects for Egypt's candidate to lead Unesco, the UN's cultural arm, despite his public apology for past anti-Israeli remarks. |
| Farouk Hosny, who is Egypt's culture minister, expressed "solemn regret" over a May 2008 pledge to burn Israeli books in Egyptian libraries. | Farouk Hosny, who is Egypt's culture minister, expressed "solemn regret" over a May 2008 pledge to burn Israeli books in Egyptian libraries. |
| Israel withdrew its protest about Mr Hosny's candidature following a request from Egypt's President, Hosni Mubarak. | Israel withdrew its protest about Mr Hosny's candidature following a request from Egypt's President, Hosni Mubarak. |
| But Jewish European cultural groups continued to object to the candidacy. | But Jewish European cultural groups continued to object to the candidacy. |
| Opponents of Mr Hosny's candidature have cited his response to a question in parliament in May 2008 from an opposition MP about whether Israeli books were held by the new library in Alexandria. | Opponents of Mr Hosny's candidature have cited his response to a question in parliament in May 2008 from an opposition MP about whether Israeli books were held by the new library in Alexandria. |
| He said: "Burn these books; if there are any there, I will myself burn them in front of you." | He said: "Burn these books; if there are any there, I will myself burn them in front of you." |
| 'Man of peace' | 'Man of peace' |
| Writing in the French newspaper Le Monde on Wednesday, Mr Hosny said: "I want to solemnly say that I regret the words that I used." | Writing in the French newspaper Le Monde on Wednesday, Mr Hosny said: "I want to solemnly say that I regret the words that I used." |
| Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel has led protests against Hosny's candidature | Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel has led protests against Hosny's candidature |
| "I am a man of peace. I know that peace comes through understanding and respect. In the name of these values I want to go back on the words that I used, which were taken as an appeal to burn Hebrew books." | "I am a man of peace. I know that peace comes through understanding and respect. In the name of these values I want to go back on the words that I used, which were taken as an appeal to burn Hebrew books." |
| He admitted that his words had been shocking, but he said they had not been premeditated but had shown his indignation about the "tragic" plight of Palestinians. | He admitted that his words had been shocking, but he said they had not been premeditated but had shown his indignation about the "tragic" plight of Palestinians. |
| He added that he abhorred "racism, negating others or any move to harm Jewish culture or any culture". | He added that he abhorred "racism, negating others or any move to harm Jewish culture or any culture". |
| At the time, Mr Hosny said he had used a popular expression in Egypt to indicate that something did not exist. | At the time, Mr Hosny said he had used a popular expression in Egypt to indicate that something did not exist. |
| The Wiesenthal Centre said the book-burning statement was redolent of "the language and actions of Nazi 'Minister of Culture' Josef Goebbels". | The Wiesenthal Centre said the book-burning statement was redolent of "the language and actions of Nazi 'Minister of Culture' Josef Goebbels". |
| 'Insane' declarations | 'Insane' declarations |
| The exact details of the deal Benjamin Netanyahu struck when he met Hosni Mubarak have not been disclosed, but officials confirmed Israel's U-turn which came before Mr Hosny's apology. | The exact details of the deal Benjamin Netanyahu struck when he met Hosni Mubarak have not been disclosed, but officials confirmed Israel's U-turn which came before Mr Hosny's apology. |
| The list of candidates for the job of director general of Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, closes on Saturday and a vote will be held in October. | The list of candidates for the job of director general of Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, closes on Saturday and a vote will be held in October. |
| An open letter by prominent Jewish intellectuals Claude Lanzmann, Bernard-Henri Levy and Elie Wiesel protested against Mr Hosny's candidature in the strongest terms. | An open letter by prominent Jewish intellectuals Claude Lanzmann, Bernard-Henri Levy and Elie Wiesel protested against Mr Hosny's candidature in the strongest terms. |
| They said the book burning comment was just one of many "insane declarations... of hate and error" accompanying a "frenzy of conspiracy theories" that Mr Hosny had made. | They said the book burning comment was just one of many "insane declarations... of hate and error" accompanying a "frenzy of conspiracy theories" that Mr Hosny had made. |
| They quoted him saying in 2001: "Israeli culture is an inhuman culture... aggressive, racist, pretentious... based on a simple principle, stealing that which does not belong to it and then claiming it as its own." | They quoted him saying in 2001: "Israeli culture is an inhuman culture... aggressive, racist, pretentious... based on a simple principle, stealing that which does not belong to it and then claiming it as its own." |
| Egypt signed a peace deal with Israel in 1979, which has brought political, security and economical contacts, but Egyptian cultural figures have largely shunned any co-operation with Israelis. | Egypt signed a peace deal with Israel in 1979, which has brought political, security and economical contacts, but Egyptian cultural figures have largely shunned any co-operation with Israelis. |
| Hosny, a 71-year-old abstract artist who is believed to be close to President Mubarak, has been Egyptian culture minister for more than 20 years. | Hosny, a 71-year-old abstract artist who is believed to be close to President Mubarak, has been Egyptian culture minister for more than 20 years. |
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