There is a new Israeli-Egypt axis, and God gave the Jews the land of other people and ordered them to murder men, women and children, and pigs may fly. The alleged axis or alliance was reported in an article by the Israeli Guy Bechor, which can be seen as a case study of black propaganda, unmatched even by the antagonists of the cold war. First of all, I know President Hosni Mubarak more than all Israeli journalists combined do, and I have conducted many interviews with him in the past, and in all instances, the tape recorder was switched off to allow the President to speak freely on many specific issues. I have witnesses that attended the interviews, such as our brother Safwar al-Sherif, the Information Minister at the time, and also Egyptian journalists (in truth, three Egyptian of these journalists successively occupied the post of Al-Hayat bureau chief in Cairo when I was its editor in chief.) In addition, the Foreign Minister Ahmad Aboul Gheit is a personal friend, and so is his predecessor Amr Moussa, the current Secretary General of the Arab League. We have had no secrets among us ever since they were representing their countries at the United Nations. Moreover, when I visit Cairo, I often seek to meet brother Gamal Mubarak. What is more, he never travels to a conference that he knows I am attending without his aides calling me to arrange a meeting between us, whether in Davos, Sharm el-Sheikh or the Dead Sea and elsewhere. Also, for the first time ever, I want to disclose that I know many senior members of the Egyptian intelligence, but will not add more. What the above means is that I am tackling a subject that I know well, and that I am closely related to Egyptian policy and thus I write informatively, and not like when an Israeli fabricates in order to slander President Mubarak and turn the Egyptian people against him. In truth, polls show that this nation unanimously considers Israel to be an enemy, despite the [peace] treaty of ink and paper, and knows that it is Israel behind every offence against Egypt, including the current conspiracy against the waters of the Nile. The article advances ten arguments that prove the existence of the alleged axis or alliance, which I reproduce here along with my rebuttals: 1 – The Egyptians are shooting at African immigrants who are trying to enter Israel. I want to say that the Egyptians did not shoot many other immigrants, and that they are concerned about drug and arms trafficking, so where is the alliance in all of this? 2 – They have taken responsibility over Gaza, and Egypt is boycotting Hamas. This is true because Israel closed its borders with Gaza, and the Strip has no other borders except with Egypt. The rift with Hamas, meanwhile, is caused by the fact that the Islamist movement did not sign the reconciliation document that the Egyptians drafted and that they refuse to amend in any manner, and I have personally reviewed it with the Egyptian Intelligence, Abu Mazen and Khaled Meshal. 3 – Egypt is currently building its army as a way of defying Iran, and in the absence of the United States, it is helping the Gulf countries (this claim is made twice in the course of the article, and I do not understand how the United States is absent when its armies and bases are all over the region). My response is that this is an Egyptian policy, and not an alliance with Israel. 4 – Egypt has been sealing the tunnels into Gaza. My response is that Egypt did so following the dispute with Hamas, but that it had hitherto always allowed the existence of these tunnels. I personally saw Egyptian lists of tunnel locations and the prices of smuggled goods, with the lowest prices being those of foodstuff, then equipment, while the most expensive goods were weapons. 5 – Egypt is the only Arab country that is not afraid of holding public meetings with top Israeli officials, and the Egyptian President met with Benjamin Netanyahu. My response is that as we all know, there is a peace treaty; yet, Hosni Mubarak did not travel to Israel in 30 years except when Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated, and that the Israelis always come to Egypt begging and pleading. 6 – Egypt has reined in Hezbollah. My response is that while I support Hezbollah against Israel, the former has made a mistake with Egypt, which fears kidnappings against tourists or attacks against the Israelis in the Sinai resorts. 7 – Egypt is not thrilled by Recep Tayyip Erdogan's penetration in the Middle East. However, I know for certain that there is an Egyptian-Turkish-Syrian alliance being built, and also a general Saudi and Arab alliance against Israel. My sources for this information are the builders of this alliance themselves. 8 – Egypt functions as the only channel of communication between Israel and Abu Mazen. My response is that this is at the request of Abu Mazen, and if there is any alliance here, it would be an Egyptian-Palestinian alliance against Israel. 9 – The star of Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, the Nasserist, is on the decline. Meanwhile, Mohammad ElBaradei, an Israel-hater who aspires to be president of Egypt does not stand a chance. My question here is that if this is true, how does that translate into an alliance with Israel? 10 – Finally, Mubarak did not attend the Sirte Summit, nor did Saudi Arabia. But we all know that President Mubarak had just returned from Germany after major surgery, and he is still convalescing. This article is blatant ‘Goebblesian' journalism, and I hope that no Egyptians or Arabs buy it, as I talk about what I know while the Israelis write their wishes. Dr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit spared me the need for further rebuttal, as Israeli newspapers, whose translations I have before me, criticized him, because he referred to Israel as an enemy when he was in Beirut, and said that he would never carry messages to a brotherly Arab country from the enemy. Israel is the enemy of God, country and people, and the enemy of humanity. All Egyptians despise it, exactly as it deserves. [email protected]
