Serge Klarsfeld in favor of Egyptian candidate for UNESCO post

The French Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld, 73, has publicly expressed support for the candidacy of Egypt's Farouk Hosni to become the new director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), despite allegations of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel stances leveled at Hosni. The Egyptian culture minister had apologized for remarks seen by some as anti-Semitic and had taken a strong stance against the Holocaust.

"Naming Mr. Farouk Hosni head of UNESCO would be entirely positive. I support him because of his public position on the Shoah and his openly expressed repentance," Klarsfeld said in a statement. “He is also to be welcomed because Egypt is home to one of the oldest and most remarkable civilizations and today plays an important role."

In 2008, Hosni told the Egyptian parliament that he would "personally burn" any Israeli books in the country's libraries. He has since expressed "solemn regret" but was criticized as unsuited for the UNESCO post by Jewish leaders, including from the European Jewish Congress, and many commentators, notably in France. Recently, Hosni unveiled restoration work at Cairo’s Maimonides Synagogue, a project he denied was meant to assuage Jewish anger.

Representatives from the 58 nations that make up UNESCO's executive council are meeting in Paris the week ahead of a first round of voting on 17 September to elect a successor to Japan's Koichiro Matsuura.