It seems that Billy Carter’s “best, friends” get their information on Jews and Jewry from the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” A delegation of 30 Libyans, whose U.S. visit was prompted by on invitation by President Carter’s brother, Billy, stopped in San Francisco this week on a cross-country tour. During a conversation with the press, the delegation’s chief spokesman, Ahmed Al-Shahati, said that Zionism “was racist” and according to “what we read in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Zionism tries to give privileges to just a few,” it was reported by Phil Bronstein, San Francisco Jewish Bulletin assistant editor.
Al-Shahati is the head of the Foreign Liaison of Libya’s Congress, a kind of a Foreign Minister for the country. He and his delegation were escorted around Georgia by Billy Carter, who called the Libyans his “best friends.” Carter aroused a storm of controversy by blasting what he called “Jewish pressure” on the press and politicians, who snubbed the Libyans. The Libyans are here on a “good will session.”
Al-Shahati, speaking through an interpreter-spent a good deal of time blasting the American press for its “misinformation and propaganda” aimed at “giving a bad picture” of Libya. Pressed as to whom he thought was responsible for that “misinformation” he said “the world Zionists are behind this campaign, because they don’t want to see good relations set up between the U.S. and the Arab people,” Bronstein reported.
Asked about Libya’s reputation for being a world haven and bankroller for terrorist organizations, Al-Shahati said this, too, was a plat. “We know that world Zionism is behind this rumor.”
Al-Shahati also noted that eight C-130 planes the U.S. was planning to sell Libya, have been held Up because of the “world Zionist influence” on the U.S. government. He also claimed that the reason few American politicians turned out to greet him during his tour was due to “Zionist Influence.” Al-Shahati told the Bulletin that he believed the world Zionists had great influence over U.S. media and politicians.
He denied Libya has an anti-Semitic policy. He said Jews live in Arab countries with “the same rights as any Arab citizen,” and noted that many Arab countries, including Libya, had invited Jews to return to those countries. “Islam,” Al-Shahati said, “respects all other religions.” Asked by the Bulletin whether Jews were restricted in obtaining Libyan passports, he said.
Only it they are Zionist agents. He would not state the criteria for making such a decision, Bronstein said.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
