Brotherhood-Affiliated Egyptian Official Has Antisemitic Outburst on Live TV After Learning an Israeli Is on the Program

Ever since the so-called Arab Spring first had its inception, the amount of apologias for the Muslim Brotherhood and other organizations involved in that supposedly enlightened and revolutionary event reached something of a critical mass. Yet despite being a critical mass, it quite obviously was not analyzed critically. In fact, now that Egypt has begun its path towards a new state unencumbered by the remnants of the previous Mubarak regime, Westerners are seeing more and more cause for concern, especially where the Muslim Brotherhood's virulent antisemitism is concerned.

Nevertheless, until now, no Muslim Brotherhood operative had actually outed himself as an outright antisemite on a Western television show. In that respect, Nader Amram, of Egypt's Peace and Freedom Party's foreign relation's committee, is truly a trailblazer. The Weekly Standard reports:

News channel France 24 hosted a panel Monday night to discuss Egypt’s first civilian president, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi. One of the guests on the panel, via satellite from Cairo, was Nader Amram, a member of the Freedom & Justice Party’s foreign relations committee. (The Freedom & Justice Party (FJP) is the Muslim Brotherhood’s political party.)

When Amram learned that an Israeli journalist was also included on the panel, he protested that he had not been informed beforehand that he would have to appear with an Israeli. He then launched into a mini-diatribe about how Israel is the real problem in the Middle East and refused to discuss matters further with the Israeli.

Amram’s unwillingness to take part in a discussion with an Israeli is a good indication of the possible troubles ahead in relations between Egypt and Israel. When the panel’s host pointed out that the two countries are at peace, Amram said he was not speaking for his country, just himself. The problem is that the Brotherhood certainly has many, many more men like Amram in its ranks. Anti-Semitism is in the Brotherhood’s DNA.

The disingenuousness of Amram's disclaimer regarding his personal opinions notwithstanding, the fact remains that if an individual with enough clout in Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood can believe these things, anyone can believe them. This lends credence to the Standard's charge that racial bigotry is in the bloodstream of Egypt's new governing class. And when bigotry is in the blood, bloodshed is practically inevitable.

Some may argue that political disagreements motivated Amram's reaction. However, if this is so, we would humbly suggest that this is simply a less heinous excuse for what amounts to childish plugging of the ears. Political disagreement does not foreclose a politically productive conversation - just look at Marco Rubio's discussion with Jon Stewart on Monday night. Plugging one's ears and humming over differences of political/national identity is perilously close to an invitation for violence.

But then, given the previous record of the Muslim brotherhood, perhaps violence has already kicked in the door to power in Egypt.

H/T: Weaselzippers