Egypt's transformation: From a country to a devil

The fervor, support and sympathy by the Egyptian people for the Palestinian cause has gradually waned since the past one year.  This has been the single unspeakable tragedy after the sacking of Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Humanitarians and political  activists are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to convince the Egyptian public to participate in solidarity movements expressing their  disapproval over the genocide and blatant human rights  violations by Israeli forces in occupied Gaza and West Bank.  Though Hamas is still  popular among various segments of Egyptians, many more seem to be  against them because of their connections with the Muslim Brotherhood.  But  the problem is,  hatred for Hamas in Egypt has crossed all bounds in amazing  proportions, resulting in an astonishing display of heartlessness.  The hard-edged and nasty attitude is spearheaded by the Egyptian media including television presenters.  The cruel rhetoric has been mind boggling, almost petrifying, that carries a striking  resemblance with the sort of inhumanity rampant within hardcore  rightist Israelis. 

According to TV presenter Ahmad Moussa,   Hamas and al-Qassam  Brigades "are not our brothers, neither Muslims, they are the  enemy...strike every place in Gaza, it is the right of our children."  Commenting on the injured Gazans who desperately need to cross into  Egypt for medical treatment, Moussa stated, "we don’t want anyone of them,  those who are dying, let them die  there."  According to another Egyptian TV presenter, Amany al-Khayat,  the war on Gaza is a "joke" where Hamas is purposely trying to  masquerade as the "victim" to gain sympathy of the Egyptian  government and its people for opening the Rafah border and smuggling  weapons.  This woman also reportedly expressed her desire for Israeli  air force to bomb Hamas offices in Gaza.   Azza Sami, a senior editor of  Egypt's state-run newspaper, Al-Ahram (formerly the mouthpiece for  Mubarak), tweeted:  "Thank you Netanyahu and may God give us more people  like you to destroy Hamas."   

The Egyptian media's irrational abhorrence for Hamas has completely impaired its capacity to discern between the  government of Gaza and its civilians.   Recently, Egypt's Defense  Minister, Sedki Sobhi, decided to send 500 tons of  food and medical supply to the Gaza Strip over which Al-Bashayer newspaper commented that the Egyptians were poorer and more needy  than  the people of Gaza.  Seldom do we find the concept of forgiveness so conspicuously absent within an institution or community.   As expected, such media  attitude  is having a brutish impact on the minds of the  Egyptian people,  deadening their sentiments with a blind eye to the unprecedented  suffering that prevails in Gaza, acknowledged discreetly even by the  friends of Israel.

In July 2013, Sissi's approach  was widely accepted after Mohamed Morsi's policies resulted in a thumping failure  of which majority of the Egyptians strongly disapproved.  Furthermore  the subversive activities carried out by members of the Muslim Brotherhood following their  ouster that caused several deaths of Egyptian civilians painted them in a very negative light.  However, there can be  other situations still more dire.  All that's expected of Egypt's  Al-Sissi is to be a willing mediator for the  benefit of the Palestinian people, a move that carries no dangers nor  risks to his government.  But his complacency over the  pain and suffering of his neighbors is inexplicable and  inexcusable.  Defenseless and incarcerated, the Gazans are facing one of  the most horrific genocides at the hands of the Zio-fascists in the  ongoing occupation of the region.  Our emphasis in on the  civilians of Gaza, not just Hamas.   This isn't the moment to nurture  political  resentment and  remain silent spectators while the blood of innocent  civilians  (mostly children) flow through alleys and roads with  the stench of death all around.  There is hardly a home or building in the major cities of Gaza that  isn't damaged or splattered with blood.  Whether to suit himself or to  please his people, Al-Sissi has stretched his vengeance too far.  The  faintest concept of solidarity has been eradicated from his policies as  well as his conscience.  Even an uncooperative recluse like Jordan is reported to have transported thousands of injured  Palestinians to its field hospitals for treatment but Egypt refuses to open the Rafah border.

While observers are  speculating that the scenario seems arranged  for Mahmoud Abbas to  negotiate a settlement for Gaza via the Egyptians, the Middle-East  Monitor opines that Abbas is no more a favorite of Cairo than Khaled  Meshal.  Believe it or not, the only Palestinian welcomed in Cairo is  supposed to be the shrewd and disgraced Mohamed Dahlan who is  purportedly bragging that he is the only savior of the Palestinian  people and aims at booting out both Hamas and Abbas through negotiations  with the Egyptian government.   Come hell or high water, just about  nothing chills out the frenzy of political ambition and the intrigues  that go with it!  

Still more amazing is the hysteria of nationalism and its potential for changing a sane society into a collection of thick-skinned sub-humans with unabashed admiration for exterminators.