'Holocaust was a myth invented by U.S': Aide to Egyptian President Morsi triggers outrage with claim six million 'dead' Jews had simply moved to America

Fathi Shibab-Eddim claims U.S. used myth to destroy image of the Nazis

Comes after it emerged Morsi had described Jews as 'descendents of pigs'

Raises fears Egyptian government has major elements that deny genocide



Dangerous mindset: A senior figure close to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi (pictured) provoked outrage after claiming the Holocaust was a myth invented by the United States

A senior figure close to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi provoked outrage today after claiming the Holocaust was a myth invented by the United States.

Fathi Shibab-Eddim, who is responsible for appointing editors of all the state-run newspapers, claimed the six million Jews killed by Hitler had actually been moved to America.

His comments came as the world marked Holocaust Remembrance day on Sunday and little more than a week after it emerged that President Morsi himself had once described Jews as 'descendants of apes and pigs'.

Shibab-Eddim said: 'The myth of the Holocaust is an industry that America invented.

'U.S. intelligence agencies in co-operation with their counterparts in allied nations during World War II created it [the Holocaust] to destroy the image of their opponents in Germany and to justify war and massive destruction against military and civilian facilities of the Axis powers, and especially to hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the atomic bomb.'

His views have sparked fears that the Egyptian Government, like Iran's, has significant elements that refuse to acknowledge one of the best-documented genocides in history.



The bizarre claims will also be especially concerning for Israel, which had fostered good relations with President Morsi's predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in 2011 following days of violent protests.

Efraim Zuroff, Israel Director of the Jerusalem-based Simon Weisenthal Center, whose mission is to defend against anti-Semitism and teach the lessons of the Holocaust to future generations, told FoxNews.com that Shibab-Eddim's views showed a dangerous mindset.

He said: 'Obviously, if a person in that position makes that ridiculous claim it is of concern.

'The sad truth is that these views are relatively common in the Arab world and are the result of ignorance on one hand and of government-sponsored Holocaust denial on the other hand.'

Disturbing: His comments came as the world marked Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday, being respected here by a member of Romania's Jewish community in a cemetery in Bucharest

Earlier this month, the White House condemned President Morsi after it was revealed he had described Jews as ‘descendants of apes and pigs’.

The Muslim Brotherhood leader is also reported to have asked Egyptians to ‘nurse our children and our grandchildren on hatred’.

In other comments, he said Zionists are bloodsuckers who attack Palestinians and are related to apes.

The remarks were made three years ago, but have only recently emerged.

Threat to peace? Shibab-Eddim's views also come just days after the White House condemned Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi (pictured) for describing Jews as 'descendants of apes and pigs'

President Barack Obama’s White House spokesman Jay Carney said: ‘The language that we have seen is deeply offensive.

‘We completely reject these statements, as we do any language that espouses religious hatred.

‘This kind of discourse has been acceptable in the region for far too long, and is counter to the goal of peace.’

Morsi’s remarks and the Obama administration’s rebuke marked a new point of tension in the complex relationship between the U.S. and Egypt’s fledgling democracy.

Since being elected in June of 2012 in the aftermath of the revolution that ousted former President Mubarak, Morsi has promised to abide by Egypt’s decades-old peace treaty with Israel.

Morsi was also instrumental in facilitating a ceasefire in November between Israel and Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, despite his refusal to speak directly with Israeli officials.

But despite this, there are fears that Morsi may prove to be a radical Islamist.

