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Egypt's Nile Water Conspiracies

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Haisam Hassanein - The Israeli embassy in Cairo tweeted a denial on July 18 of accusations circulating in Egyptian media that Jerusalem is threatening Egyptian national security with its involvement in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project. In 2019, Israel had to refute claims that its defense systems were being used to protect the dam. Widely viewed MBC anchor Amr Adib said that if the Israelis swore that they have nothing to do with the Nile water, he would not believe them. Historically, Egyptian elite circles have been obsessed with the idea that Israel is trying to "steal" the Nile water. In April, Dostor newspaper published a report by Gen. Hamdy al-Batran stating that in 1903, Theodor Herzl proposed to the British government a plan to transfer water from the Nile into Palestine. Many Egyptians see Israel negatively, and narratives that cement these feelings can become quite popular, regardless of veracity. Moreover, the fact that Egyptians believe Israel is looking for other water sources despite the country having water security from desalination plants reflects an ignorance about Israeli priorities.
2021-08-12 00:00:00
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