The September 11 terrorist attacks have made many Americans more aware of the widespread anti-Western and anti-American intolerance in Saudi culture and the Saudi educational system. Unfortunately, intolerance in the form of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel incitement is also rampant in the Saudi media.

A whole range of anti-Jewish commentary and depictions in the Saudi media - the blood libel accusation, denial of the Holocaust, and Jewish control over the media and American policy - have gone unanswered by Saudi religious, political and community leaders. As in the past, criticism of Israeli policy is infused with comparisons between Israelis and Nazis and other forms of blatant anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitic propaganda from western extremists, such as David Duke and Mark Weber, has also been reprinted in a number of Saudi newspapers.

As the Saudi leadership invests time and money in addressing their image in the U.S., they cannot leave these manifestations of anti-Semitism unanswered. Religious and political leaders in Saudi Arabia must speak out and address these hateful sentiments within their society.

Next