Saturday, September 10, 2011

Egypt's Pro-Democracy Protagonists Reject Move to Overrun Israeli Embassy

Some of the leading protagonists of the Arab Spring pro-democracy revolution took to Twitter overnight to denounce an Egyptian mob ransacking the Israeli embassy in Cairo.

Mahmoud Salam, Amr ElGabry and Gigi Ibrahim, among others, all questioned the mob's decision to storm into the Israeli mission, forcing out staff and ransacking the building.

"Those breaking into Israel Embassy do not represent me, they represent stupidity... and others,” Tweeted the Pan-Arab progressive intellectual @AmrElGabry.

The outspoken and widely followed Salam, better known by his @Sandmonkey handle, fired back when he came under fire for criticizing the mob action.

"Oh, so if u don't agree with attacking the Israeli embassy, u r a soft zionist sympathizer now? Lovely! Go (expletive deleted) yourselves," Salam shot back with his @Sandmonkey Twitter account.

"The deeper we get into the revolution the more apparent it becomes who believes in the revolution & who is simply riding the wave,” lamented Ibrahim, who goes by handle @Gsquare86.

"Result: while anti-Israel Egyptians may feel good, the country looks bad internationally. Stronger response early cld have defused things,” added the anonymous @arabist.

The BBC's Jerusalem correspondent Paul Danahar suggested Israel needs to do its part by behaving like a better neighbor, given the new reality in the Middle East.

"Embassy attack by protestors shows Israel must change way engages with neighbors post Arab spring cos now arab street has voice & muscle,” he Tweeted in his @pdanahar account.

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