The London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported on June 23, 2002, that when asked about U.S. criticism of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Defense and Aviation Minister Prince Sultan bin Abd Al-Aziz said, "It is enough to see a number of congressmen wearing Jewish yarmulkes to explain the allegations against us."

According to the London-based Saudi daily Al-Hayat, which also reported the incident on June 23, the minister cut off a journalist who asked him about the congressmen who attacked Saudi Arabia, stating: "Say 'Jewish congressmen.' It is enough that in the pictures you see some congressmen wearing Jewish yarmulkes. That is sufficient."

The following appeared in the Saudi newspaper, Al-Jazirah on June 24, 2002: "The evil columnists do not hesitate to attack any stable Islamic and Arab country. I recently asked several friends: 'You are friends working in the Western media. Why do you attack a friendly country with which you have great interests?' They replied: 'We do not curse you. The ones who curse you are two specific [types] of people: the Zionists and those whom you treat well, because they envy you and wish evil upon the [Saudi] state, its security, and its welfare. If there were chaos and anarchy in your [country], as in the others, no one would envy you. Now they envy you, and you are forced to suffer for it.'"(5)

Source: The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
Special Dispatch - Saudi Arabia/U.S. and the Middle East
July 2, 2002, No. 396