Newsletter
Newsletter Support JNS

Lebanese parliament speaker makes anti-Semitic joke

Nabih Berri made an anti-Semitic remark four days after meeting in Beirut with U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), who is Jewish.

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri. Credit: Screenshot.
Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri. Credit: Screenshot.

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri made an anti-Semitic remark on Wednesday, four days after meeting in Beirut with U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), who is Jewish.

“How do you identify a Jew? Simple: If you see a pregnant woman, throw a gold coin under or near her. If the fetus jumps out of its mom’s womb and takes gold, you’ll immediately know it’s a Jew,” Berri said in an interview with Lebanese daily newspaper Al Joumhouria.

Berri, 81, has been in his political position since 1992.

“My intent was to honor our Jewish neighbors and friends,” Nathalie Kanani stated. “We are all human, and even with the best intentions, honest mistakes can happen.”
The man was recognized by police officers while attending a court hearing of the three other suspects connected to the case.
The U.S. president warned that the U.S. military will begin targeting Iranian power plants and bridges on Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened.
The cell posed an immediate threat to Israeli forces in northern Gaza, according to the military.
The event, which was attended by 70,000, comes just over two months after the rapper, also known as Kanye West, publishing an apology letter for antisemitic remarks.
An 11-year-old girl critically hurt last week by an Iranian missile remains in serious condition.