Israel Matzav

Egyptian students harassed for visiting Israeli center

There's an Israeli center in Cairo, Egypt, along the Nile River. It was set up in the early 1980's - probably while President Sadat was still alive and it looked like the peace between Israel and Egypt might even be a real one.

But a lot has changed since the 1980's, and now Egyptian students who visit the Israeli center are harassed and discouraged from going there. YNet has one of their stories.

Hussein Baker, 20, a fourth-year Hebrew student at Menoufia University, near the Egyptian capital, was enthusiastic after reading about the center in the newspaper.

"When I entered the building, I could not believe there was not one soldier or police officer there," he told Ynet in fluent Hebrew. "The building appeared quiet and normal, like any other building in the city. When I stood before the sign reading, 'The Israeli Academic Center in Cairo,' written in Hebrew and Arabic letters, I felt very excited."

He was intrigued, sat down for several hours reading newspapers and books, and even borrowed and took some home. "I asked them to contact me about events at the center, and I left with the intention of returning." But his plans were interrupted by reality.

...

"As I was walking down the street, wondering why the Egyptian cultural elite refuses with all its might to allow cultural normalization between the countries, and thinking how much this could help the peace process, I suddenly heard a voice calling my name. 'Hello, Hussein,' said the man, who presented himself as Staff Sergeant Hossam of the state's security service.

"I looked at him, alarmed, and asked if I had done anything wrong. He said he only wanted to ask a few questions and began asking me why I visited the center, who I met there, what I think about Israel and what do the Israelis write about Egypt in their newspapers."

Baker answered the question and the security officer let him go. "I thought, innocently, that the affair was over, because it was pretty acceptable for a student of the Hebrew language to visit the center for study purposes."

A week later, however, Baker's girlfriend received a phone call from another security officer, who asked her about her boyfriend, his studies and his political opinions.

"When she told me about it, I didn’t know what to do. I thought it was only a small investigation about me and that I should just ignore it, but today I received a phone call from the Israeli center, which made me very happy. They informed me that next Tuesday they will be screening the film "Someone to Run With", based on a David Grossman book. I didn't even have time to internalize the information, because several minutes later I received a call from an unidentified number."

For most Egyptians, the peace treaty with Israel was never about peace. It was about getting back the land they lost in the war they instigated in 1967. While President Sadat was seemingly sincere, he was assassinated, and Israel found itself with a piece of paper signed by a man and not by a country. Egypt continues to rehearse for war with us, continues to hate us, and continues to harass any of its citizens who may want anything to do with us.

Read the whole thing.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:23 PM