It is only fair to applaud President Hosny Mubarak’s wisdom in managing the Egyptian response to the Gaza crisis. The repeated verbal abuse inflicted upon Egypt by Hamas, and the irresponsible behaviour of its leaders and troops have failed to provoke the Egyptian authorities or to drag Egypt into an armed conflict. By virtue of the political and military savvy of the president, Egypt has stood tall, backed by its age-old civilisation, exercising a responsible role in pacification and attempting to put an end to the fighting. The main purpose being to work out a final solution to the Palestinian problem.
Any observer of the Egyptian and Arab scene is bound to notice the massive deception and misconceptions which have dominated the understanding of Egyptians and Arabs as far as the situation in Gaza is concerned. Equally obvious is the rush by Arab politicians and media to wage ferocious verbal attacks against Egypt. It would almost appear as though the media and the authorities behind it had granted Egypt a historical proxy to fight and pay the blood debt on their behalf. Whereas Egypt suffered gravely on account of supporting the Palestinian cause since 1948, and the several wars it went through on that account, the Arabs who today attack Egypt never contributed anything to the cause but their famous “vocal phenomenon” displayed so effectively through papers, microphones and satellite channels.
The Egyptian media cannot be absolved of its responsibility of the prevalent misconception. Today, and today only, do some Egyptian writers defend Egypt against the “vocal phenomenon” that targeted it. Today, and today only, do Egyptians get to learn through their media—albeit belatedly—of the truth about Hamas and the crimes it committed by using civilians as human shields. Today, and today only, are Egyptians informed of the futility and ineffectiveness of the rockets Hamas fires against Israel, which achieve nothing of value but which provoke violent Israeli response that harms unarmed Palestinians. Today, and today only, is it acknowledged that the Palestinian resistance was on the wrong track when it targeted Israeli civilians on buses or in restaurants and markets, instead of Israeli military.
It should come as no surprise then that Egyptians would demonstrate screaming they would sacrifice their blood and souls to Hamas. After all, these Egyptians have for so long been spoon-fed erroneous information by an irresponsible media that knew all the facts but preferred to broadcast them selectively, hoping to inform the people of what they wished to hear instead of shocking them with the truth. The Egyptian media threw to the wind the mission of the press, that of presenting readers with the facts and raising awareness.
Has any good come out of all the evil? Yes indeed, since the attack waged by the Arab vocal phenomenon against Egypt has brought many in the Egyptian media to their senses. They have reconsidered their former stances and are today defending the dignity of Egypt and supporting the wisdom of President Mubarak who has refrained from any verbal indecency and has adopted a serious approach to the problem. In the process, the media has opened the file of the Hamas attitude towards its people, placing the group’s interest ahead of that of the Palestinian people and allowing Iran to exploit the Palestinian cause to further Iranian interests.
No one can be happy at the scene in Gaza. Egyptians, however, should realise that Hamas is squarely to blame for the current appalling situation, and that its behaviour and deeds—long obscured by the Egyptian media—have provoked the Israeli war machine, with the Palestinian civilians alone paying the hefty price. Instead of defending Hamas, Egyptians ought to defend the just cause of the Palestinian people. They should moreover appreciate the wisdom of President Mubarak in managing the crisis in a serious manner, steering clear off any sentimental or irresponsible ventures. As far as Gaza is concerned, Egypt’s political leadership has taken the lead instead of being led. Can we likewise hope for a media that would lead and not be led?