Tunisian president’s remarks on Storm Daniel have been denounced as antisemitic and prompt an uproar

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisian President Kais Saied’s remarks that have been denounced as antisemitic have prompted an uproar on social media across the world. Saied’s remarks came following floods that devastated Libya’s city of Derna. He spoke during a government meeting on Monday. Saied pointed to the name “Daniel” that was chosen for the storm. He made the link with the name of a Hebrew prophet. Names of storms are chosen by meteorological authorities through a alphabetical list alternating female and male easy-to-remember names. Many scholars and human rights advocates denounced the remarks on social media on Tuesday. The U.S.-based Anti-Defamation League said that Saied’s words “resonate with some of the worst conspiracy theories of Jewish control of the weather.”