It is a common theme in the Arab media that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is only interested in satisfying a lust for Arab blood, but two Egyptian newspapers provided more specific motivations for his actions.
Al-Gomhouria accused Prime Minister Sharon of meeting ?Palestinian President Arafat?s initiative to maintain calm and ceasefire with more provocative actions? doing his best in a bid to drive a wedge between Arafat and other Palestinian factions.? The PLO leader is quoted as having called the current confrontation ??a stage of patience, action and steadfastness to face all difficulties.?
An al-Wafd editorial asks in exasperation, ?Does Israel want to launch third world war?!? Repeating classical anti-Semitic accusations, the Egyptian newspaper states that ?the Jews were behind fomenting several crises in various parts of the world. To maintain their interests, Jews could do anything? [including igniting] a grinding war for their interests?? Creating the linkage between classical anti-Semitism and modern Israel, the al-Wafd continues, ?[As] is the case now, as Israel drags the whole region into an all-out war.? Yet the war the Jews will foment, according to al-Wafd, ?will not only destroy the Middle East but other countries as well.?
Al-Gomhouria accused Prime Minister Sharon of meeting ?Palestinian President Arafat?s initiative to maintain calm and ceasefire with more provocative actions? doing his best in a bid to drive a wedge between Arafat and other Palestinian factions.? The PLO leader is quoted as having called the current confrontation ??a stage of patience, action and steadfastness to face all difficulties.?
An al-Wafd editorial asks in exasperation, ?Does Israel want to launch third world war?!? Repeating classical anti-Semitic accusations, the Egyptian newspaper states that ?the Jews were behind fomenting several crises in various parts of the world. To maintain their interests, Jews could do anything? [including igniting] a grinding war for their interests?? Creating the linkage between classical anti-Semitism and modern Israel, the al-Wafd continues, ?[As] is the case now, as Israel drags the whole region into an all-out war.? Yet the war the Jews will foment, according to al-Wafd, ?will not only destroy the Middle East but other countries as well.?