Egyptian Culture Minister Faruq Hosni said Tuesday he dreams of "normal" ties with Israel once it has made peace with the Palestinian Authority, less than a month after he said he would burn Israeli books if he found them in any library in Egypt.

Hosni is a candidate to head the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) but his candidacy has been criticized by Israel for preventing normal ties between the two countries.

During Hosni's 21 years as culture minister, just a few Israeli works have been translated into Arabic, and a total boycott is imposed on all artists and intellectuals from Israel. No Israeli film has ever been shown in the country.