One bad-ass Egyptian

Egyptian-Italian journalist Magdi Allan, Deputy Editor of "Corriere della Sera", one of Italy's leading newspapers, was awarded the Dan David Prize by Tel Aviv University for "his ceaseless work in fostering understanding and tolerance between cultures." He doesn't mince words when it comes to addressing issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflic, Islamic Fundamentalism, Muslim Assimilation (or ghettoization) in Europe, and the War on Terror. Surely in being so outspoken he has made numerous enemies and requires constant protection.

Could one imagine what the reaction would be if his comments to the Israeli newspaper Ha'Aretz were said in Cairo? As reported in Ha'Aretz:

"Israel's right to exist is today the international criterion for distinguishing between the terrorist camp and the camp of life ... On one side, there is the Hamas government, Iran, fundamentalist Islam and even parts of the extreme left and right in Europe." On the other side, he says, are Western countries and "supporters of the right to live." The West, he believes, has consistently failed to grasp its situation: It does not understand that it is under attack, and it is trying to conduct a dialogue with the Muslims attacking it.

He also doesn't pause in lending constructive criticism to the West:

"My goal is to free the West from the nihilism that has spread in its midst, from the lack of values that leads to the growth of radical Islam. In the face of the threat from radical Islam, the West must be united and formulate a shared value system that sanctifies life and denounces the right to kill."

And he is particularly harsh towards Hamas and Western appeasement to the terrorist organization:

"I oppose any middle way. I oppose any type of dialogue just for the sake of dialogue. Hamas is part of the global Islamic front. It is an organization that prefers to worsen the conditions of its citizens rather than recognize Israel. The terrorism it wages against Israel is ideological terrorism. It would be a big mistake to think that it is resistance, because they are not trying to promote a Palestinian state. They have simply been trying, ever since the signing of the Oslo Accords, to destroy every effort to achieve peace."

Surely some readers of this blog might find such words in contradiction of a prize given in the spirit of "fostering understanding and tolerance between cultures." But that's precisely the point. You cannot "foster understanding and tolerance" with a people bent on the other's annihilation.