Egyptian Playwright's Witty Retort After TV Anchor Declares Hamas Is 'My Flesh and Blood

Egyptian playwright Ali Salem dueled an Al Arabiya TV host earlier this month when he insisted that Egyptians must make peace with Israel, and Hamas and the Islamic State are the real enemy of Egypt.

"What about the historical heritage? What about the land that was lost? What about the blood that was shed?" the interviewer demanded, according to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

"Stop right there," Salem responded. "History is full of bloodshed that culminated in peace."

"Israel is an enemy and will remain an enemy forever," the host insisted.

When Salem maintained that Israel is not an enemy, but Hamas and the Islamic State are, the television host was apoplectic.

"Hamas?! Can my hostility towards Hamas – which is my flesh and blood – possibly equal my hostility towards Israel?" he asked. "Am I not an Arab? My brother will remain my brother even if he kills me."

"Let's not romanticize things," Salem said calmly. "I'm just saying, with the utmost modesty, that we must live in harmony with our neighbors, especially considering that we have a peace treaty with them."

Watch the interview via MEMRI-TV, below: