?The Ugly Israeli? ? that was the title of an Al-Hayat article about the redefinition of European public opinion concerning the Jews. The London-based daily, in its Sunday edition, claimed that the image of the "Jew as victim" has started to loose its credibility in Europe, as witnessed by the Danish position towards the Israeli ambassador Carmi Gillon and by the Belgian prosecution of a war crimes case against Prime Minister Sharon.
Hatred against Israel would have found even more virulent expression, the paper claims, had Israel not wielded ?the Zionist sword? of accusations of anti-Semitism against intellectuals, press people and ordinary citizens and had Israel not enjoyed the support of the United States. Al-Hayat is of the opinion that the Danish and Belgian anti-Israel initiatives have broken down the fear Europeans have of openly criticizing Israel. Fending off European criticism, according to the paper, will become an obsession for Israel.
Hani Shukrallah, in an Al Ahram Weekly article entitled ?Fear of Penetration?, criticizes the Egyptian obsession with avoiding contact with foreigners, most significantly, Israelis. However, she does not do so in order to encourage dialogue with Israelis, but rather to encourage a more popular, effective boycott.
She writes, ?Why, indeed, do we take such pride in merely refraining from meeting the odd Israeli who shows up in Cairo, or whom we might come across in an international forum outside the country? Where is the heroism in it? I fail to see where Israelis (intellectuals or otherwise) derive this apparently irresistible pull, the resistance of which is the source of such high self-regard.? True virtue, according to Ms. Shukrallah, is ignoring nonsense like the Egyptian ?news? story about hormone-laced Israeli chewing gum and practicing instead mental discipline.
Hatred against Israel would have found even more virulent expression, the paper claims, had Israel not wielded ?the Zionist sword? of accusations of anti-Semitism against intellectuals, press people and ordinary citizens and had Israel not enjoyed the support of the United States. Al-Hayat is of the opinion that the Danish and Belgian anti-Israel initiatives have broken down the fear Europeans have of openly criticizing Israel. Fending off European criticism, according to the paper, will become an obsession for Israel.
Hani Shukrallah, in an Al Ahram Weekly article entitled ?Fear of Penetration?, criticizes the Egyptian obsession with avoiding contact with foreigners, most significantly, Israelis. However, she does not do so in order to encourage dialogue with Israelis, but rather to encourage a more popular, effective boycott.
She writes, ?Why, indeed, do we take such pride in merely refraining from meeting the odd Israeli who shows up in Cairo, or whom we might come across in an international forum outside the country? Where is the heroism in it? I fail to see where Israelis (intellectuals or otherwise) derive this apparently irresistible pull, the resistance of which is the source of such high self-regard.? True virtue, according to Ms. Shukrallah, is ignoring nonsense like the Egyptian ?news? story about hormone-laced Israeli chewing gum and practicing instead mental discipline.
