Liberal MP Bob Rae asked the Tory house leader to point out the "anti-Semites" in the Opposition benches following comments by the prime minister in which he suggested some politicians are encouraging anti-Semitism with their anti-Israeli attitudes.

During question period, Rae, the Liberal foreign affairs critic, read from an interview Stephen Harper gave to Toronto radio station CFRB on the subject of Israel's 60th anniversary this week.

In the interview, Harper said that in some circles, anti-Israeli sentiment has become "a thinly disguised veil for good old-fashioned anti-Semitism."

"I am disturbed that there are some elements in our political system, there are even some members of Parliament we saw during the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah a couple years back - some that were willing to cater to that kind of opinion," Harper said.

Rae asked Conservative House Leader Peter Van Loan to identify the MPs Harper was referring to. Harper was not in the House on Friday during question period.

"Now I'd like to ask the minister, perhaps he will understand the sensitivity that all of us feel as members of parliament, perhaps the minister can tell us perhaps who exactly are the anti-Semites that the prime minister is talking about," Rae said.

Van Loan said that Rae himself had experienced anti-Semitism during his leadership candidacy and knows the "corrosive impact it can have."

During his campaign, Rae's campaign said he was the target of anti-Semitic attacks for his support of Israel and in part because his wife is Jewish.

But Rae said the current issue over the prime minister's interview is not about him and he hopes Prime Minister Harper will clarify his comments next week.

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