Introduction

This Information Bulletin is the third consecutive Bulletin dealing with the phenomenon of propagation of anti-Semitism in the Arab world through literature and the media. This Bulletin surveys three books, published in Egypt during 2002 as part of an educational project for imparting reading habits to the wide public. The project, titled “A Festival of Reading for All – the Child, the Youngster and the Family”, enjoyed the patronage of Egypt’s First Lady Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, and was sponsored by a number of ministries. The books surveyed are:

Israel from Within – a book intended, according to its author, to “shed light on the characteristics of the Israeli society”, in order to “improve the Egyptians’ ability to cope” with the threats that it represents. The book reflects intense hostility towards the State of Israel, and is full of anti-Jewish and anti-Semitic expressions.

Palestine on Maps and in Documents – this book is supposed to provide the reader with “basic information” on the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflict. It is replete with expressions of incitement and propaganda against Israel and the Jewish people (with no distinction made between the two), flavored with anti-Semitic motives.

Wafa Idris and other Palestinian Stories – this book tells the stories of some of the “heroes of Intifada”, with the main focus on Wafa Idris, the first Palestinian woman to commit a suicide bombing (in Jerusalem), killing one Israeli civilian and wounding about ninety. The book expresses sympathy and support for the terrorist acts perpetrated by Wafa Idris and other Palestinian suicide bombers, who committed or attempted terrorist attacks against Israel.

The above three books join the flourishing trend of “Hate Industry” in Egypt. Their contents are intensely venomous, evidencing deep-rooted hatred against the State of Israel, and unwillingness to accept its very existence. One of them even encourages committing suicide attacks against Israeli civilians. In addition, they abound with expressions of hatred against the Jewish people, and use terminology borrowed from classical European anti-Semitism in various degrees of virulence. In each of these books, incitement and propaganda against Israel, Zionism and the Jewish people are intertwined.

It is worth noting that these are not publications circulated by radical Islamic elements active in Egypt. The gravity of the phenomenon lies in that these books are in fact regime-sponsored “Hate Industry”: their publication was part of a project supported by the President’s wife Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, and their back covers bear her picture as well as her personal note on the “importance of reading”. Moreover, a number of ministries, whose names are specified in each of the books, contributed to their publishing: the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Local Councils and the Ministry of Youth.

Osama el-Baz, President Mubarak’s political advisor, published a number of articles between 23 and 25 December 2002 in the government-controlled daily al-Ahram. The purpose of these articles was to offset the damage caused by the anti-Semitic television series Horseman without a Horse to the Egyptian reputation in the Western world (see Attachment B to this Information Bulletin). However, as evidenced by the Egyptian media and literature, Osama el-Baz’ articles did little to change the Egyptian attitude towards Israel and the Jewish people. “Hate literature” thrived in Egypt all through the year 2002, enjoying governmental support; and anti-Semitic articles and caricatures continued appearing in the Egyptian press, even after the apologetic publications in al-Ahram.

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