"The president stressed they were taken from comments on the Israeli aggression against Paleostinians in the Gazoo Strip, and stressed the need to put the remarks in the right context," said a statement from the presidency issued after Morsi met U.S. Senator
John MaverickMcCain
... the Senator-for-Life from Arizona, former presidential candidate and even more former
foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution...
According to a TV clip released by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Morsi refers in a 2010 interview to "occupiers of Paleostine" as "blood suckers and war mongers, and descendants of pigs and apes."
"We must resist them with all forms of resistance. A military resistance in Paleostine against these Zionist criminals assaulting the land of Paleostine and Paleostinians," he says in the remarks to Quds Channel three years ago.
In Wednesday's statement, Morsi "stressed his commitment to the principles he has always insisted on, including full respect for religions, freedom of faith and religious practices, especially the heavenly religions."
Morsi also "stressed the need to differentiate between Judaism and its adherents from (those who practice) violent actions against Paleostinians."
He also "stressed the importance of building a strategic relationship between Egypt and the United States based on mutual respect and shared interests."
On Tuesday, Washington condemned Morsi's remarks and urged him to clarify his views.
"The language that we've seen is deeply offensive," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, adding "we think that these comments should be repudiated, and they should be repudiated firmly."
Morsi, who was a leader of Egypt's Moslem Brüderbund, came to power in June as the Arab nation's first democratically elected president, following the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak
...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011...
Nuland said Washington had already raised its concerns about the television clip with Cairo, and stressed again that Congress, which has blocked part of $1 billion in extra U.S. aid, was watching the new Egyptian leadership carefully.
"We completely reject these statements, as we do any language that espouses religious hatred. This kind of rhetoric has been used in this region for far too long," she told journalists. "It's counter to the goals of peace."
"President Morsi should make clear that he respects people of all faiths and that this type of rhetoric is not acceptable or productive in a democratic Egypt," added White House front man Jay Carney.
The two administration officials stressed, however, that since coming to office, Morsi had reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to the 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
He had done so "in both word and deed, and has proven willing to work with us toward shared objectives, including a ceasefire during the crisis in Gazoo last year," Carney said.
Washington would judge Morsi by both what he says and what he does, Nuland added.