DATE=03/18/2002

TYPE=EDITORIAL

NUMBER=0-09769

TITLE=EDITORIAL: ANTI-SEMITISM IN SAUDI ARABIA

INTERNET=YES

CONTENT=THIS EDITORIAL IS BEING RELEASED FOR USE BY ALL SERVICES.

Anncr: Next, an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government:

Voice: Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia recently offered a vision of normalization with Israel in the context of a negotiated peace. This underscores the importance of not giving up on the desire of Israelis and Palestinians for a just and lasting peace. It also calls attention to the need to do everything possible to help end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In the meantime, there is something that Saudi Arabia -- and other Arab countries -- could do right now to ease tensions in the Middle East. They could stop newspapers and radio and television stations -- especially those controlled by the state -- from inciting hatred and violence against Jews.

On March 10th, a Saudi daily newspaper, Al-Riyadh, published a column filled with outrageous anti-Semitic lies. Al-Riyadh columnist Umayma Ahmad Al-Jalahma [oo-MY-mah AHKH-mahd ahl-jah-LAH-mah] made the preposterous claim that Jews use human blood in pastries prepared for their religious holidays. The blood for the Purim holiday, she wrote, is obtained by killing "a mature adolescent who is, of course, a non-Jew -- that is, a Christian or a Muslim. . . . In contrast," said Al-Jalahma, "for the Passover slaughtering. . .the blood of Christian and Muslim children under the age of ten must be used."

This is, of course, the infamous "blood libel" -- a centuries-old anti-Semitic lie that has been used repeatedly to stir hatred against Jews. No one who is not blinded by hate for Jews could ever believe such nonsense. But by identifying Umayma Ahmad Al-Jalahma as a doctor from King Faisal [F'EYE-s'l] University in Al-Dammam [ah-dah-mam], the Saudi newspaper helps to make her lies sound credible. Surely, this is not the way to promote peace between Arabs and Jews.

As President George W. Bush has said, "The Middle East is the birthplace of three great religions -- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Lasting peace in the region must respect the rights of believers in all these faiths. That's common sense," said President Bush. "But it is also something more -- it is moral sense."

Anncr: That was an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government. If you have a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A, Washington, D-C, 20237, U-S-A. You may also comment at www-dot-ibb-dot-gov-slash-editorials, or fax us at (202) 619-1043.