It's not easy to be shocked in today's world.  Still, one can't help but be shocked by the news that the leading candidate for the post of Secretary-General of UNESCO -- the international organization that exists to protect the heritage of global civilization -- is a man who just last year declared a willingness to engage in book burning.

Can't be so, you say? It must be a Saturday Night Live parody.  But it's true.

The man nominated by Egyptian President Mubarak, Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni, clearly declared: "I would burn Israeli books myself if found in Egyptian libraries."  Of course, a statement of this kind by any culture minister, and especially one from a country that has a formal peace agreement with the State of Israel, would be troubling enough. But to be made by someone put forth to head UNESCO is beyond belief.

The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization was created out of the ashes of World War II.  Its constitution states, "the education of humanity for justice and liberty and peace are indispensable to the dignity of man."  The founders were reacting to the horrors of the Nazi regime and, in particular, to the destruction by the regime of any culture deemed unsuitable to their racist Aryan philosophy.  The Nazis understood that if you destroy culture, then you can dehumanize and destroy entire peoples.

This assault that culminated in the gas chambers at Auschwitz began 76 years ago, only 100 days after Hitler gained power. On May 10, 1933, a series of organized book burnings took place throughout Germany.  That fateful night of May 10, 1933 ushered in the darkest chapter in Jewish history.  It was just a portent of things to come.

In the post-war world, one of the best responses to what transpired that night was the creation of UNESCO.  The decision reflected a profound understanding of the connection between the protection of culture and the protection of civilization.

Now the effort to place at the head of UNESCO an individual who has declared a willingness to burn books himself makes a mockery of everything the organization stands for.  Hosni's comment did not come in a vacuum.   As culture minister -- whose job one would think is to promote cultural relations between two countries at peace with each other, Israel and Egypt -- Hosni has repeatedly made clear that he is against any cultural exchange with Israel, and he has expressed his opposition in anti-Jewish ways:

• In 1997, in an interview with the Egyptian newspaper Ruz al-Yousuf he claimed that "Israel has no history or civilization, since those who have history of their own do not need to rob the history of others."

• In 2000, at a gathering of Arab culture representatives, he said that "Israel never left any eternal heritage for civilization, in any period of time."

• In an interview the following year with the London-based newspaper Al-Wasat, Hosni asserted that Israelis "steal everything: musical heritage, cinema and even clothes and this is why they have to be treated with the same level of hate…"

The truth is that Israel's peace treaty with Egypt spells out the need for cultural agreements between the two countries.  But Hosni won't allow it.  When Israel tried to bring its renowned Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to Egypt, Hosni's response was: "Bring only the conductor, Zubin Mehta, because he's Indian."

Hosni first attempted to minimize his book burning statement saying it was mere rhetoric.  But words matter and Hosni knew full well that there are many in Egypt who would jump at the chance at burning Israeli books.  As public expressions of disbelief have grown in recent days over Hosni's candidacy for the UNESCO post, he offered a belated and clearly politically motivated form of apology in an attempt to save his bid for the position.  But he has not renounced his longstanding bigotry against Jews and Israel.

Hosni says that he is not against Israel, but won't move to normalization while the Palestinian issue is unresolved.  In fact, he is obligated to do so under the treaty with Israel.  Equally important, his words and his actions send a message to Egyptians that hating anything Israeli is a desirable goal.  The impact on Egyptian public opinion is the very opposite of what a culture minister should be providing: understanding of another culture, of another people.

Rather than spreading respect and understanding, the job of a cultural minister and a prospective head of UNESCO, Hosni gives courage to those who prefer division and animosity.  If he were to accede to this position, it would be a problem not only for UNESCO.   This is a time when notions of suppressing knowledge and condemning other cultures are alive and well around the world.

This should exactly be the occasion for UNESCO to play a leading role in promoting the necessity of respect for culture and tolerance of diverse perspectives. How in the world could UNESCO play such a role if its leader were an individual who sees burning books as a legitimate response to political differences?

President Mubarak should reconsider Hosni's nomination and remove his name to avoid embarrassment to himself and to Egypt.  If the nomination goes forward, member states of UNESCO should act to preserve the main purpose for which UNESCO was established by choosing another candidate as Secretary General.

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Abraham H. Foxman is National Director of the Anti-Defamation League and the author of "The Deadliest Lies: The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish Control."

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.