Egyptian President’s anti-Semitic comments raise tensions

Remarks were made before Morsi became Egyptian President Cairo – Akram Ali The United States has condemned Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, after he clarified statements he made during a 2010 speech about anti-Semitism, describing Jews as “vampires” .
White House spokesperson Jay Carney claimed the tone of President Morsi’s remarks was “insulting,” meanwhile expressing anxieties over the Egyptian government’s position on the matter. The official reprimand precedes Morsi's scheduled visit to the US in February.
A leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Azab Mustafa, told Arabstoday that Morsi’s statement represented a rebuttal of policies pursued by former regimes, namely normalising relations with Israel. “Most Arab countries had adopted the same approach before the launch of the Arab Spring revolutions,” he claimed.
Mustafa added the Egyptian President would clarify his statements in meetings with US officials, adding that the remarks in question were made while Morsi was a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood and not an official within the Egyptian government.
Dr Ahmed Abed Rabbu, a professor in political science, accused Egypt’s ruling party of double standards, adding they had so far refused to adopt a specific position.
Rabbu meanwhile claimed the US administration would only demand Morsi clarify his statements, not apologise for them, because of the currently precarious relationship between the two states.
Egypt’s former Ambassador to the US, Abdel-Raouf el-Reedy, said President Morsi’s statements were aimed at the Israeli occupation and not Judaism itself, stressing that Egypt respects all religions but condemns the Israeli occupation of Palestine.