Meir Dagan: "The Superman of Israel"
Here's something you don't see very often: Al-Ahram, the state-run Egyptian newspaper, published an article yesterday (عربي) praising Meir Dagan, the head of the Israeli Mossad.
The slightly bizarre article -- written by Ashraf Abu al-Hawl, the former head of Al-Ahram's Gaza bureau -- calls Dagan the "Superman" of Israel. It commends him for working to undermine Iran's nuclear program, and for opposing Hizballah, Islamic Jihad, Hamas and the Syrian government.
And it thanks the 65-year-old spy chief for a series of "bold actions" implemented in the region: the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh; the Deir az-Zor bombing; "covert operations" inside Iran; and diplomatic actions designed to "embarrass" Iran.
The article is getting a lot of attention from the Israeli press, which doesn't try to confirm or deny any of its claims.
Strange stuff, right? Al-Ahram is typically a government mouthpiece -- the front-page, above-the-fold story is always a positive report about Hosni Mubarak -- so it wouldn't praise an Israeli official, certainly not a Mossad chief, without high-level government approval. Mubarak clearly wanted to send a message to the countries and organizations that Dagan allegedly undermines.
It's a reflection of the deepening tension between the Egyptian government and other prominent actors in the Arab world, particularly Hamas, which has clearly frustrated Cairo with its refusal to sign a reconciliation deal with Fatah.
In any event, Dagan fared better in the Arab press this weekend than Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was dubbed "foolish and insane" by Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Sabah.
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Categories: Egypt, Israel, Life and Culture, Media, Politics, Regional News
Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu, Fatah, Hamas, Hizballah, Hosni Mubarak, Imad Mughniyeh, Iranian nuclear program, Meir Dagan, Mossad, Sheikh Mohammad al-Sabah
2 Comments
Nothing strange about this article. No surprise there! Why would you expect anything else from the Egyptian gov or its surrogates (Egyptian media)??
The Egyptians work with the Israeli gov against the Palestinians in Gaza. Recently they blocked for days aid for the Plestinians.
The only difference is that they dont hide it anymore
The Egyptian leadership is smart, and aware of their intersts
why would they cope with a radical terror group like Hamas at all?
President Mubarak is a true gift for the people of Egypt
Greetings for the Egyptian nationl football team for the great win in the African tournament. may god be with u and send peace to all of the people of Egypt.
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