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What I Learned as an Egyptian Studying with the "Enemy" in Tel Aviv

(Ha'aretz) Haisam Hassanein - In Egyptian newspapers, articles often argued that grand Zionist conspiracies implemented by Israelis and Americans intended to create chaos and division in the Arab world. And so, upon my arrival in Israel, I was shocked not to find a single Israeli who mentioned any desires to take the Sinai back from Egypt, or a grand strategy to occupy the area between the Nile and the Euphrates. Instead, some Israelis were frustrated with the fact that although the two countries had officially been at peace for almost 37 years, it remained a cold peace. Once they discovered that I was Egyptian, Israelis were immediately enthusiastic and wanted to engage in conversation. I was often invited to Shabbat dinners, political gatherings, plays, and a variety of social events. The writer is an Egyptian-American master's degree student at Tel Aviv University.
2016-03-18 00:00:00
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