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Egypt's Ramadan Soap Operas Contradict Sisi's Outreach to Israel
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Haisam Hassanein - In the past five years, Egyptian-Israeli relations have steadily improved. Yet this warmth has not been shared by the Egyptian media, much of which are reportedly controlled by government intelligence organs. Egyptian television series are specially produced and broadcast during Ramadan throughout the Arab world. It is discouraging to see negative representations of Israel and Jews still appearing frequently on Egyptian television. In the current season of the show Kalabsh, one of the major villains is a local businessman who had a suspicious affair with an American Mizrahi Jewish woman. This woman recruits him to help international NGOs that aim to harm Egypt's national security. In another soap opera, Al Dahar, an Egyptian military officer's love affair with a Jewish girl makes him deceive his country. The writer is a former Glazer Fellow at The Washington Institute.