UNESCO, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Culture Organization, is electing a new director general. According to the mission statement listed on UNESCO's website, its purpose is "to build peace in the minds of men" through creating "the conditions for genuine dialogue based upon respect for shared values and the dignity of each civilization and culture."Since the vacancy was announced, the front-runner has been Egypt's Culture Minister of 22 years, Farouk Hosny. Over the years, Hosny has become known in the United States primarily through a series of outrageous claims about Israel and "the" Jews. Each of his outbursts has taken on a new weight given that he is the favored candidate for such a powerful position in an organization whose stated purpose is to ensure respect for the values and dignity of each culture.
A Jerusalem Post editorial critical of Hosny's candidacy reviews several of his most offensive statements. For instance, in May 2008 Hosny declared his readiness to burn every Israeli book in Egyptian libraries. He has since claimed that this statement was taken out of context and that he meant only those Israeli books that were critical of Egypt and Islam; however, the statement speaks for itself.
The Post editorial lists several other incidents:
Most recently Hosny accused America's UNESCO Ambassador, David Killion, of antagonism because "Killion is Jewish." (To the best of our knowledge, incidentally, he isn't.) Hosny has previously painted Israel as "inhuman," and "an aggressive, racist, and arrogant culture, based on robbing other people's rights and the denial of such rights." He has declared that Israel is "aided" in its dark machinations by "the infiltration of Jews into the international media" and by "their ability to spread lies."Should not this evidence of anti-Israel and antisemitic bias disqualify him from controlling a UN body whose purpose includes the preservation and respect of each civilization?
UPDATE: Irina Bokova, a Bulgarian career diplomat won the election Tuesday in the fifth round of voting beating Hosny 31 votes to 27. She becomes the first woman to lead UNESCO. AP has the story.
