New York, NY, October 17, 2003 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed appreciation to those countries and leaders who strongly condemned the vehemently anti-Semitic speech by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad before the summit of the Organization of Islamic Countries, but called those who acquiesced or were silent in their reaction to the speech, "willingly complicit in spreading Mahathir's hate."

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

We greatly appreciate those in the international community who took a strong stand against the incendiary anti-Jewish scapegoating of Mahathir's speech.  In particular, we recognize the European Union, Italy, Spain and Germany for their important comments and efforts to rightly denounce and condemn this speech as anti-Semitic, dangerous and morally repugnant.   We salute those who worked behind closed doors in the EU to push for a rejection of Mahathir's speech and message.

We are appalled and outraged by those who acquiesced, were silent, or even supported Mahathir's speech, including those Muslim nations who were in attendance at the conference.  We are especially outraged by the actions of French President Jacques Chirac and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis to block the inclusion of a condemnation of Mahathir's anti-Semitic speech in the official statement of an EU summit.  By their disgraceful behavior, these countries are willingly complicit in spreading these words of hate."