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Anti-Semitism in Egypt: Media and Society
July 2003 - February 2004
Introduction
Posted: March 30, 2004
Anti-Semitism remains deeply ingrained in Egyptian society, finding expression in the mass media, popular literature and public statements while remaining virtually unchallenged by government leaders.
Articles and caricatures in the Egyptian media regularly feature anti-Semitic depictions of Jews as stooped, hook-nosed, money-hungry and conspiratorial. Israeli leaders are depicted as Nazis, while other articles deny or diminish the Holocaust. Anti-Israel and anti-Jewish conspiracy theories frequently surface, including references to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and modern reincarnations of the medieval blood-libel charge.
In January 2004, Egypt hosted its annual book fair in Cairo, the largest literary event in the Arab and Muslim world, where numerous anti-Semitic books were displayed.
Since the international outcry over the airing on Egyptian television of an anti-Jewish drama based on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion in December 2002, the infamous anti-Semitic forgery, important public discussions on anti-Semitism have taken place, leading to calls to condemn anti-Semitism and for Egyptians to avoid such manifestations. Nonetheless, vicious and hateful anti-Semitic articles and caricatures have continued to appear in the opposition and government press.
The following are selected examples of anti-Semitic articles and caricatures that appeared in Egyptian newspapers from July 2003 to February 2004. Several common anti-Semitic themes are apparent:
- conspiracy theories of Jews wanting to control the world, Jews controlling the Western governments and Jews controlling the world media.
- comparing Jews and Israelis to Nazis and comparing Zionism with Nazism.
- illustrating the stereotypical Jew (big nose, black coat and hat, skull cap), along with Jewish symbols such as the Star of David and demonizing Jews as bloodthirsty and violent.
Material in this compilation was translated by ADL from the original Arabic or from English language sources in the Middle East.
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