BANGKOK - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad renewed his attack on "arrogant" Jews Tuesday, saying in a newspaper interview that the world's reaction to his controversial recent comments confirms that "they do control the world".
The veteran leader, who retires later this month, launched his latest salvo despite US President George W. Bush pulling him aside at the APEC summit Monday to bluntly denounce his "wrong and divisive" charge that Jews rule the world.
Mahathir also criticised Western media who he said took his comments at last week's summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Malaysia out of context.
"In my speech I condemned all violence, even the suicide bombings, and I told all Muslims it's about time we stopped all these things and paused to think and do something that is much more productive," he said in a lengthy interview with the Bangkok Post.
"That was the whole tone of my speech, but they picked up one sentence where I said that the Jews control the world.
"Well, the reaction of the world shows they control the world."
The comments attracted a volley of international criticism, led by Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who Monday slammed the remarks as "slanderous".
Mahathir though was unrepentant and launched a fresh broadside Tuesday.
"The Europeans and the Americans and others want to condemn me when, in fact, one chap said all Muslims are terrorists. (Italian Prime Minister Sylvio) Berlusconi himself made a statement that Muslims are terrorists.
"Did the European Union pass a resolution to say that this is against Muslims?" he asked.
"Why is it that when people condemn Muslims the European Union does not try to say anything?" he said.
"Israel is a small country. There are not many Jews in the world. But they are so arrogant that they defy the whole world. Even if the United Nations say no, they go ahead. Why? Because they have the backing of all these people."
European Union leaders meeting for a summit in Brussels on October 17 attacked Mahathir's comments but the denunciation was made in a statement from the Italian presidency of the EU, and not in the conclusions of the summit.
French President Jacques Chirac was accused of having it blocked, which sparked a separate controversy.
In the interview Tuesday, Mahathir said he believed his comments at the OIC summit were only partially reported by the Western media because "many newspapers are owned by Jews".
"They only see that angle and they have a powerful influence over people," he said.
"Only their side of the picture is given now. The Muslims, we are pictured as terrorists, unreasonable people, unable to administer our countries, unable to develop our countries."
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