Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, who outraged Jews in November by calling them "the root of evil", has now said that Jews control the world's banks and the mass media. Nonetheless, Theodorakis called himself a "true friend of the Jewish people'' in an interview published by the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz last Friday. He said he wanted to soothe feelings hurt by his November interview but added that he was also hurt by the Jewish reaction to what he had said, which had not been civilized. Theodorakis then went on to basically reiterate his earlier comments. While he did not hate Jews he would despise Prime Minister Sharon's policies regarding the Palestinians, which were Nazi-like, he told Ha'aretz. Moreover, Sharon and other Jews in influential positions had persuaded U.S. President George W. Bush to go to war against Iraq. The famous composer, who also wrote the Palestinian national anthem, also said there was no anti-Semitism in Europe; claims of anti-Semitism were a "masochistic reaction'' by a people which liked to be the victim. Jews controlled banks, the mass media and the United States. Jews' control of orchestras had prevented him from giving concerts.