From Egypt with Love/Hate By Thomas Gorguissian

From Egypt with Love/Hate

By Thomas Gorguissian

Last November, following the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 in the North Atlantic, the ensuing clash of cultural concepts and perceptions was a shock both in the United States and Egypt. Many Egyptians who followed the extensive media coverage, which was often emotional, irrational and judgmental, wondered what was happening to the Egyptian-American relationship.

Was it, as both governments have long stated, "strong and firm," a "strategic partnership"? Or was the relationship fragile, with each side trying to avoid confronting that sensitive truth?

At the time, most Egyptian newspapers, whether the semi-official ones (sometimes described as governmental) such as Al Ahram, Al Akhbar and Al Gomhoreya, or the opposition ones such as Al Wafd, harshly criticized the American response to the tragedy. They took particular offense at the rush to judgment in the EgyptAir case, when, apparently without much reflection, the theory that the co-pilot had committed suicide was quickly adopted by American investigators. Commentators criticized "American ignorance and arrogance," and the lack of cultural and religious understanding.

I raise this incident not because it bears especially on the U.S. elections (it does not) but rather to show how easily perceptions and interpretations can affect the relationship between Egypt and the United States, and how fragile the bonds of understanding sometimes are.

That incident, hurtful as it was, is nothing alongside the persistent Egyptian resentment of America's well-known bias toward Israel, and its "double standard" in dealing with Arab-Israeli issues.

Still, Egyptians follow the American presidential elections with hope and concern. Their hope, admittedly, is a dim one -- and it has grown dimmer over the years -- that a change of some kind will take place in U.S. policies and perceptions. Frankly, Egyptians do not hope for a stance that will favor Egyptians and Arabs, but simply one that will show less bias in Israel's favor.

At the time of this writing, in late July, the coverage of the American elections in the Egyptian press was still general, with some occasional news and commentary. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee held its annual convention at the end of May, and the promises and commitments given by Governor George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore attracted attention and stirred up anger and criticism among Egyptians. The perennial election season topic of the transfer of the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as well as guarantees to preserve Israel's regional military superiority and to put no pressure on her in negotiations with the Palestinians -- as both candidates reconfirmed -- were the main issues of deep concern.

Although interest is limited right now, prominent Al Ahram columnist Salama Ahmed Salama recently noted in a telephone interview that "with the countdown to the election, and the more specific outlining of policies and the expected hot debates," he foresees that the Egyptian public will gradually become more interested in what is going on.

Political commentator and Islamist intellectual Fahmi Howeidi has a different view, believing that there is a feeling that the elections are not that important to most Egyptians "because many have realized that in the basic issues, especially in those related to the Arab-Israeli conflict, the United States stands in the Israeli corner. Consequently, there is no significant difference between one candidate and another," Howeidi stated in a recent interview.

"Definitely, we are following what is going on in the American elections. We cannot ignore it," says Abbas el Tarabili, editor in chief of Al Wafd, an opposition daily. Egyptians will pay special attention to what the candidates promise during their campaigns regarding "how close and how far they are from Israel," el Tarabili stressed. "It is an eternal issue for us." Egyptians are concerned, he said, about the future of the Egyptian-American friendship and the financial assistance from USAID. Egypt is the second largest recipient (after Israel) of American foreign assistance, receiving about $2 billion annually.

"We learned the lesson. The same scenario is repeated again and again. The candidate comes and focuses on domestic issues. The same candidate also tries to attract the attention of the Jewish lobby and please them," said Youssef Sidhom, editor-in-chief of Watani, a popular Coptic weekly. Then after the elections, Sidhom explains, "the issues are handled in a more logical and balanced way," which better serves American interests. American politicians have occasionally raised the issue of the rights of Egypt's Coptic Christian minority, spurring anger and even anti-Americanism within Egypt. Sidhom told me that all Egyptians, Copts and Muslims alike, "have the same expectations and demands" of U.S. policy-makers in Washington.

The general feeling among the Egyptian public, especially after the collapse in July of the Camp David summit and the fading possibility of reaching any Israeli-Palestinian agreement in the near future, is that "soon everything will be on hold. Outstanding issues will be postponed. And we will have to wait till the next administration starts to work in January," said Howeidi.

Beside the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the candidates' stances on sanctions against Iraq are an issue of concern. Egyptians are waiting eagerly to see whether the next administration will take steps to put an end to the suffering of the Iraqi people.

We Loved "Monicagate"

Excitement about the elections may ignite when the campaign becomes "more personal and some scandals become public," suggests Mohammed el Ezabi, foreign affairs columnist of Al Gomhoreya daily. People want to know every detail about the next president of the superpower, el Ezabi explains. Like others around the world, Egyptians really enjoyed the scandal that exploded in Washington concerning President Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky. For months that was the favorite news story in Egypt, and added significantly to the circulation of various publications.

Egyptian theaters staged two popular comedies based on "Monicagate" -- "I, My Wife and Monica" and "Kimo and the Blue Dress."

Two big publishing houses came out with competing versions of Kenneth Starr's report, or "Monica's confessions," as they described it. As many observers explained at the time, it was of great interest not just because it was scandalous, but because it was an American issue and a presidential issue. The scandal and the way it was dealt with politically also highlighted how the president is accountable to the American public, who have the right to be informed.

Egyptians in general have a love-hate relationship with America. That feeling is shaped mainly by Hollywood and Washington, by films and foreign policies.

The adjective Amrikani (American) is used frequently to describe what is phony, showy, deceptive and attractive. "An Amrikani turn" is used to describe the squealing, high speed U-turn of a car, like the ones seen in Hollywood films. Amrikani also refers to the use of the flash of a camera without taking real pictures, just to make people pose, smile, and feel great for a while.

The widespread presence of satellite dishes and Egyptians' fascination and occasional fixation with CNN will undoubtedly allow them to be bombarded with the election coverage. Apart from the White House, the senatorial race in New York -- because of first lady Hillary Clinton -- will attract people's interest, the columnist el Ezabi predicts. "They want to see how this strong woman, whom they know and have sometimes admired, will do in political life after leaving the White House," he says.

Many editors and columnists feel that Egyptians overall have a "shallow" understanding of elections and policy-making in the United States. Columnist Salama Ahmed Salama says, "We need to go deeper into the issues and the candidates."

Coverage of American elections also raises complex questions about democracy in Egypt and the Arab world. While opinions vary enormously within Egypt, it is widely believed that an American-style political process, with its size and expenditures, would not suit the Egyptians.

Egyptian Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz once wrote of the Egyptian-American relationship that it "must be what we may term a friendship of the free, in the sense that it allows for the freedom of both parties." This point has been raised whenever a disagreement surfaced in the last 20 years, ever since the establishment of a strategic alliance following the Camp David accords of 1978.

With the coming American elections, Egyptians, who are well known for their optimism, are still expecting that the outcome will be a fair and just American involvement in the Middle East. At least this is their message and their hope, even after years of repeated frustrations.

Thomas Gorguissian is the Washington correspondent for Al Wafd, an Egyptian opposition daily newspaper.