Al-Araby al-Jadeed, London, May 24
There is an iconic hotel in downtown Cairo frequented by the most famous Egyptian writers, actors, and artists. Its prestigious lobby overlooks one of the main squares that was flooded by protesters during the January 25 Revolution. Surrounding it are magnificent monuments of military leaders who led Egypt in its wars against Israel. It is therefore very curious, and certainly not coincidental, that the Israeli ambassador to Egypt decided to host his country’s 70th anniversary celebrations at this hotel. Invitations, hand-signed by the ambassador himself, were sent to a large list of VIP guests. Photographers were hired to await invitees at the red carpet, large banners were hung at the venue and videos from the event appeared very quickly on social media platforms. Someone was working extra hard to get the word out. Seemingly, there is nothing wrong with a country hosting its Independence Day celebrations at a public venue in Cairo. But this is not just any country. This was a celebration of the Zionist state’s founding, which coincides with the anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba. While the Egyptian people were on the streets marking the day with grief and sorrow, inside the hotel people were wining and dining instead of commemorating an Arab tragedy. Seventy years since the Zionist entity wiped out entire Palestinian towns and villages and expelled the rightful inhabitants from the land, there remains doubts about the Arab world’s commitment to the Palestinian cause. The U.S. administration, led by President Trump, has been determined from day one to bring an end to the Palestinian struggle and remove it from the international agenda. It has done so by coining the term “the deal of the century,” which is really just a euphemism used to disguise the unequivocal American backing of the Zionist agenda. One cannot help but wonder what former Egyptian leaders, whose sculptures proudly stand outside the hotel, would have said about the disgraceful celebration held inside. How have decades of struggle and thousands of lives lost in defense of Palestine resulted in the complete collusion of Egyptian authorities with the Zionist regime? – Adel Sleman