Tourism Minister Benny Elon (National Union) asked Christian missionary groups last week to work to convert Muslims to Christianity in order "to show them the light."

According to a report in the Ma'ariv daily, Elon told Christian missionaries that Israel would not accept any missionary attempts to convert Jews, but suggested that they turn their attention to Muslims.

"Go from mosque to mosque and bring the Muslims into the light," Elon was quoted as saying.

Elon's media advisor Sagiv Rottenberg told The Jerusalem Post that the minister was not referring to all Muslims, but only asked the missionaries to convert "those who preach to murder and carry out suicide attacks."

"If everyone understands that the Jewish people who have returned to their land are not colonialists but are people who are fulfilling what is written in the Bible, then things will be different," Elon told Israel Radio on Sunday.

"When you speak with a Muslim who murders and fanatically believes that our religion lies and... since he doesn't accept the Bible and believes that it is full of lies, then it is difficult to speak with him. But when you come to a Christian, even if he is hostile, there is still a basis for mutual dialogue."

MK Ahmed Tibi (Hadash) told the Post that Elon's conversion initiative is an "illusionary plan" which is anti-Islam and an expression of racism.

"The plan represents the ideology of those people who believe that they can control another nation while at the same time enjoying peace and security," Tibi said. "A new movement is rising opposite anti-Semitism by the name of Islamaphobia," he said.

MK Michael Melchior (Meimad) sharply criticized Elon's comments, saying in a statement that they were "crazy".

"This is a declaration of war against Islam [that] will create new enemies for Judaism," the statement said. "There is no greater insult for Muslims than this."

Melchior, who has encouraged dialogue between world religious leaders to help solve the Arab-Israeli conflict, added, "People in a position like Elon's should think twice before they create such a provocation as this, [which] fan the flames of hatred between religions."

Elon is scheduled to travel next week to Charlotte, North Carolina for the National Religious Broadcasters' annual convention, where a demonstration against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to remove Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip is scheduled to take place.