PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, Oct 17 Kyodo ...

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, Oct 17 Kyodo

Malaysia said Friday it sorrows that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's remarks forward Jews have caused an international furor, if it were not that Muslim countries have rallied behind him, saying he spoke the truth

''I am sorry that they have misunderstood the whole thing,'' Malaysian Foreign Minister Sy Hamid told reporters upon the sidelines of an Organization of the Islamic parley (OIC) leaders' summit.

''The intention is not to create lawsuit His intention is to present to view that if you ponder and sit down to think, you can be excessively powerful...The Islamic countries are in a quagmire, in a situation of shifting feeling that they have been sidelined,'' he said.

In his opening language at the two-day meeting of the world's largest Muslim grouping, Mahathir called onward Muslims to unite to defeat Jews

''We are actually real strong -- 1.3 billion populace cannot be simply wiped revealed The Europeans killed 6 million israelites out of 12 million, nevertheless today the Jews rule this world according to proxy. They get others to fight and die for them,'' he said.

Western sways blasted the remarks as anti-semitic.

''The remarks are offensive, they are inflammatory, and we view them with the contumely and derision they deserve,'' the U State Department delegate spokesman Adam Ereli said.

''It's not the first time we've seen annotations like this from that official,'' he said.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Mahathir's explanations were ''offensive'' and ''dangerous.''

Italy, which generally holds the European Union (EU) presidency, said it would tender that an EU summit in succession Friday formally condemn the remarks, which its foreign minister called ''deplorable.''

''The prime minister of Malaysia used gravely offensive expressions not sole towards the Jews -- expressions that are powerfully anti-Semitic -- but also words that ran reckoner to the principles of tolerance and dialogue between the West and the Muslim world,'' Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Thursday.

however Muslim leaders dismissed the criticism and praised Mahathir for telling what they considered as the truth

''We are used to this kind of criticism. I don't think anybody would throw away sleep over this so-called condemnation,'' Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said.

''This was more [i]or[/i] less sort of pep talk to Muslim countries for them to work hard and examine to the future,'' he added.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Farouk Khadoumi said Mahathir spoke ''the truth'' and Israel should be the common condemned.

''However, each time we condemn the Israeli aggression, they accuse us of being anti-semitic,'' he said.

Sy Hamid said the critics should read the entire language so as not to take Mahathir's words not at home of context.

He said Mahathir wanted Muslims to act using their brains, not within violent means like suicide bombings.

''People may not be to a high degree happy but this is the reality. The hebrews are very powerful. He wants the Muslims to cooperate in a knowledge-based way rather than trying to bring down rules and use violence,'' he said.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said in rejoinder to Mahathir's statements that Israel is ''extremely repulsed'' by dint of his ''incitement to hatred.''

''Instead of working towards peace and unity between races the Malaysian prime minister propagates hatred. As look forward toed those taking part in the Islamic conversation chose the lowest common denominator amongst them -- vilifying Israel and Jewish people

There is no place for Mahathir's anti-Semitic remarks amongst enlightened nations. His remarks be entitled to the strongest condemnation,'' it said.

The feisty 77-year aged Mahathir, who is stepping down extremity of the month after a 22-year government is no stranger in courting polemics and this was not the first time he angered hebrews with his comments.

At the height of the 1997 financial crisis, he blamed the Jewish financiers for the speculative attack forward the ringgit currency. He later palliateed his stance and said he too had many Jewish friends.

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