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Monday, September 19, 2011

Egypt rewarded flag remover

Ten days ago, there was a massive assault on the Israeli embassy in Cairo. Why that happened may have something to do with the response of Egyptian authorities a few days earlier when an Egyptian removed the Israeli flag from the embassy. The Egyptian government treated him like a hero.
A few days before the mob stormed the embassy, the Egyptian authorities honored a young man for climbing more than 20 floors to remove the Israeli flag from the offices of the Israeli embassy.

According to a report in Egypt's Al Masry Al Youm newspaper, Sharqiya Governor Azazy Ali Azazy, honored the man who climbed the building that houses the embassy and tore down the Israeli flag.

Ahmed al-Shahat, 23, affectionately nicknamed "Flagman," was awarded a flat and a job for his "courageous" deed.

"I wish I were in his place to enjoy that honor," the governor said, referring to the young man.

The Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has since sought to distance itself from the decision to honor al-Shahat by claiming that the governor had acted on his own initiative.

By honoring al-Shahat, who is being hailed as a hero in his country, the Egyptian authorities paved the way for the mob attack on the embassy, which, by miracle, did not end in the lynching of the Israelis inside the embassy offices.

The Egyptian authorities are being hypocritical when they say that they plan to prosecute those responsible for the assault on the embassy.

By rewarding the young man with a flat and a job, the government in Cairo sent a message that not only does it condone the attack, but actually regards it as a heroic act that deserves a precious award.

There is no doubt that the thousands of young Egyptian protesters who attacked the embassy were also expecting to be praised and honored by their government, especially if one takes into account the severe housing shortage and high rate of unemployment in Egypt.

The protesters who stormed the embassy were not only inspired by the "heroic" act of al-Shahat, however -- they were also influenced by the continued incitement against Israel in the Egyptian media.
Of course, the Netanyahu government and other Israelis, undoubtedly at the Obama administration's behest, are trying to turn President Obama into a hero for getting the Egyptian government to confront the rioters (Hat Tip: Debbie R). But the truth is that if the Egyptian government would not even provide the Israeli embassy with that small amount of protection until pressured to do so by Obama, the peace treaty is gone, and Israel should withdraw its ambassador and prepare for war on its southern front. Unfortunately, the day when those things happen does not seem far off.

Read the whole thing.

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