[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 152 (Friday, November 22, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CONDEMNING ANTI-SEMITIC SENTIMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 22, 2002

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the 
disturbing rise in and acceptance of Anti-Semitism in the Arab world.
  An Egyptian satellite television station recently produced and is 
currently airing a new series that its producers openly acknowledge is 
partially based on a century old anti-Semitic tract entitled ``The 
Protocols of the Elders of Zion.''
  ``The Protocols,'' which have long been dismissed by historians as 
false, are a work of fiction fabricated in czarist Russia to perpetuate 
and justify anti-Semitic violence and persecution. ``The Protocols'' 
were a series of 24 documents reportedly written by Jewish leaders that 
outline a plan for global domination by the Jewish people. They were 
later used again as anti-Jewish propaganda in Nazi Germany and are 
still used to this day by neo-Nazis and white-supremacist groups.
  The New Egyptian series, entitled ``Horse Without a Horseman,'' is 
looking to breathe new life back into this cornerstone of anti-Semitic 
hatred. The 41-episode television series, created specifically to air 
during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, traces the history of the 
Middle East from 1855-1917. With a prime evening timeslot, the series 
is expected to have excellent viewership, as families gather at home to 
break the daily fast. This puts the series in the unique position to 
bring anti-Jewish sentiment into millions of homes throughout the 
Middle East. Israeli and American Embassy officials have raised 
concerns over the use of the fictional and inflammatory ``Protocols'' 
with the Egyptian government, but to no avail.
  With the increase in attention given to ``The Protocols'' in the Arab 
media, many believe that the imagery present in ``Horse without a 
Horseman'' is indicative of the rise in anti-Semitism in the Arab world 
since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
  Even here at home, The Arab Voice, a local Arab newspaper in New 
Jersey, recently printed excerpts from ``The Protocols.'' Despite 
knowledge that ``The Protocols'' are forgeries and have been used to 
incite anti-Jewish hatred and violence, the editors of The Arab Voice 
called ``The Protocols'' an ``educational tool'' for their readers.
  The irresponsible decision by The Arab Voice to give credence to 
``The Protocols'' by reprinting the falsehoods in their paper only 
fuels and further perpetuates the tension between the Arab and Jewish 
communities. At a time when the American-Arab and Jewish communities 
could be making an effort to improve communication and cooperation, The 
Arab Voice's printing of ``The Protocols'' is both irresponsible and 
inflammatory.
  I ask my colleague to join with me in condemning ``Horse without a 
Horseman,'' The Arab Voice and any perpetuation of anti-Semitism either 
abroad or at home. It is critical that we remain vigilant and not allow 
attempts to spread hatred to be ignored or continued.

                          ____________________