[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 151 (Wednesday, November 20, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11790-S11791]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




URGING ARAB GOVERNMENTS NOT TO CONTROL TELEVISION STATIONS TO BROADCAST 
      PROGRAMS THAT LEND LEGITIMACY TO PROTOCOLS OF ELDERS OF ZION

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to S. Res. 366 introduced earlier today by Senators Nelson of 
Florida and Smith of Oregon.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 366) urging the Government of Egypt 
     and other Arab governments not to allow their government-
     controlled television stations to broadcast any program that 
     lends legitimacy to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and 
     for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and preamble be 
agreed to en bloc; the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and 
that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 366) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Res. 366), with its preamble, reads as follows:

[[Page S11791]]

                              S. Res. 366

       Whereas in November 2002, a number of government-controlled 
     television stations in Egypt began broadcasting a multi-part 
     series, ``Horseman Without a Horse'', based on the Protocols 
     of the Elders of Zion and conspiracy myths about Jewish 
     global domination;
       Whereas the Protocols of the Elders of Zion are a notorious 
     forgery, written by Russian anti-Semites in the early 20th 
     century, which purport to reveal a plot for Jewish domination 
     of the world;
       Whereas the Protocols of the Elders of Zion have been a 
     staple of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel propaganda for decades 
     and have long since been discredited by all reputable 
     scholars;
       Whereas the broadcast of this series takes place in the 
     context of a sustained pattern of vitriolic anti-Semitic 
     commentary and depictions in the Egyptian government-
     sponsored press, which has gone unanswered by the Government 
     of Egypt; and
       Whereas the Department of State has urged Egypt and other 
     Arab states not to broadcast this program, saying ``We don't 
     think government TV stations should be broadcasting programs 
     that we consider racist and untrue'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) condemns any publication or program that lends 
     legitimacy to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion;
       (2) believes the use of such heinous propaganda, especially 
     in the Arab world, serves to incite popular sentiment against 
     Jewish people and the State of Israel rather than promoting 
     religious tolerance and preparing Arab populations for the 
     prospect of peace with Israel;
       (3) commends the Department of State for its denunciation 
     of the ``Horseman Without a Horse'' television series and its 
     efforts to discourage Arab states from broadcasting it; and
       (4) urges the Government of Egypt and other Arab 
     governments--
       (A) not to allow their government-controlled television 
     stations to broadcast this program or any other racist and 
     untrue material; and
       (B) to speak out against such incitement by vigorously and 
     publicly condemning anti-Semitism as a form of bigotry.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a 
resolution dealing with a problem we are facing in the Middle East--
that of resurgent anti-Semitism. I am joined by my friend and colleague 
from Oregon, Sen. Smith, in offering this resolution.
  Right now, throughout this month, a multi-part series is being 
broadcast on Egyptian state television entitled, ``Horseman Without a 
Horse.'' This program is based on a notorious anti-Semitic document 
known as ``The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.''
  ``The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,'' written in the early 20th 
century by Russian anti-Semites, purports to be a record of secret 
meetings at which Jewish leaders hatched a plan for global Jewish 
domination. All reputable scholars have discredited the document, but 
it has proven tougher to stamp out than the most resilient weed.
  Time and again, various anti-Semitic leaders have used the Protocols 
of the Elders of Zion to justify outrageous acts of persecution against 
the Jewish people. The perpetrators of pogroms in Russia cited it. 
Hitler used it. So did Stalin. It has become a staple of anti-Semitic 
propaganda.
  The places these myths are most likely to surface nowadays are in the 
Arab world. With depressing regularity, we see Jews portrayed in the 
Arab media as bloodthirsty, conniving, and manipulative. The editorial 
cartoons of Jews that appear in Egyptian newspapers alone would be 
shocking to nearly any American who saw them.
  Now comes a television program about Jewish plots to control the 
world, broadcast nationwide on Egyptian government-sponsored television 
stations. It is likely the series will air in other Arab countries as 
well.
  Some would argue that this demonizations is an unavoidable hyproduct 
of the Arab-Israeli conflict. But perpetrating anti-Semitic myths is 
never acceptable. Arab governments can be expected to have their 
differences with Israel, and to seek to resolve those differences 
through negotiations. They can even be expected to criticize Israeli 
policies. But the gratuitous demonization of Jews serves on to incite 
popular sentiment against Jewish people, and by extension, the State of 
Israel. Instead, these governments should be seeking to promote 
religious tolerance, and to prepare their populations for peace with 
Israel.
  Egypt is a friend and ally of the United States. It is a significant 
recipient of U.S. foreign assistance because successive administrations 
of both parties have found the alliance to serve our national 
interests. But we have a right to expect better from our friends. We 
have a right to expect that they will not intentionally promote false 
and racist views that incite religious intolerance. As the State 
Department spokesman, Richard Boucher, said recently, ``We don't think 
government TV stations should be broadcasting programs that we consider 
racist and untrue.''
  Anti-Semitism is a form of racism, and we need to condemn it whenever 
it occurs. The resolution I am offering today with Sen. Smith condemns 
any effort that lends legitimacy to the Protocols of the Elders of 
Zion, supports the State Department's criticism of the Egyptian 
television series ``Horseman Without a Horse'', and urges the 
Government of Egypt and other Arab governments to refrain from 
broadcasting racist and untrue material, and to speak out against such 
incitement.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this import 
resolution.

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