A Christian Egyptian Dissident in Jerusalem Speaks Out

Nadene Goldfoot
Maikel Nahil was born in 1985, the year I left Israel to return to Portland, Oregon.  Who knew that such a baby would become such a political activist and blogger.  On the 4th of February, 2010 he was arrested by Egypt's military police and tortured, but luckily released 27 hours later.  It happened again on Mary 28, 2011 in his home in Cairo and he was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment on charges of "insulting the military" in his blog!   By December 14 of the same year his sentence was reduced by a year to serve 2 years.  He was finally pardoned on January 23, 2012.

Today he is known as one of Egypt's most famous human rights dissidents and democracy bloggers.  He's different in that he is Egypt's most outspoken supporter of peace with Israel.  Irwin Cotler was Mr. Nabil's international legal counsel, a Canadian MP, law professor and human rights advocate and  board member of UN Watch.

"After years of calling for peace,"  said Mr. Nabil, I have realized that practicing peace is more important than talking.  My visit is a message from the Egyptian peace community that we have had enough violence and confrontation and we want this to end."  Maikel was born into a Coptic Christian family but now is an atheist.  They make up 10% of Egypt's Muslim population.  He has finished his education for becoming a veterinarian but has also of late been studying law.  He could have taken his final tests but was in prison.

He has arrived in Jerusalem on a peace-building mission where he will speak at universities and meet with leading public figures and peace activists and visit the Palestinian territories.  He visited Yitzhak Rabin's grave on the 21st of December and has total respect for this Israeli Prime Minister who gave his life for Egyptians and Israelis to live in peace with his involvement in the Oslo Accords and even before.   He's an admirer of Israel and its accomplishments in such a short time.  One thing that had impressed him was when Sadat came to Jerusalem and was so warmly welcomed.  He wondered at the time if this could happen in Egypt.

This has been organized by UN Watch, a non-governmental organization that is Geneva based, works at the UN to promote universal human rights and Arab-Israeli peace.  It was founded in 1993 and is headed by Alfred H. Moses, attorney under Bill Clinton as ambassador to Romania and worked on the Cyprus Conflict.

This is all well and good, but 27 year old Nabil is not speaking for the majority party, the Muslim Brotherhood, who have a charter showing their goal is to destroy Israel.  The Christians of Egypt are in danger themselves.   Morsi's constitution disregards religious freedom.  The Copts are in deep trouble.  Maikel will be amazed to see how the 3 major religions are treated in Israel; the Jews, Muslims and Christians as well as others like the Baha'is located in Haifa.  Druze are active in the army but live in their own neighborhoods which is their choice.

Reference:  http://maikel-nabil-in-jail.blogspot.co.il/2011/11/why-am-i-pro-israel-old-article.html
http://www.unwatch.org/cms.asp?id=3674274&campaign_id=63111
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maikel_Nabil_Sanad
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2012/0329/Atheist-and-pro-Israel-Maikel-Nabil-tests-free-speech-in-Egypt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Egypt
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/21/future-looks-bleak-for-egypts-coptic-christians/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Yitzhak_Rabin
http://www.bahai.org/dir/bwc

Anti-Israel Jew: UN's Richard Anderson Falk

Nadene Goldfoot
The UN Human Rights Council's Richard Anderson Falk, American Jew, is now accusing the Jewish Community of being "responsible for  the massive and enduring confiscation of Palestinian land and rights."

First, I am surprised that he is Jewish and calls himself an American Jew because as a Jew, he should know more about the history of Palestine and of Israel.  It's as if he were raised in Gaza. "Falk described his family background as "assimilationist Jewish with a virtual denial of even the ethnic side of Jewishness". This must mean that perhaps his grandparents were Jewish but his parents have not practiced Judaism or observed holidays and  haven't even eaten bagels and he cares nothing about the religion and has not cared to learn about its history.  His father seems to have been  Edwin A Falk, a lawyer in private practice in Poundridge, Westchester, New York.  His mother, Helene, was a publicity agent and was born in Japan.  He grew up with an older sister, Joan.  


 He joins the rarified community of Noam Chomsky and Norman Finkelstein.  We, strangely as it seems, do have a few Jews who have taken the opposite viewpoint and support the Palestinians no matter what while castigating the whole Jewish community.  As he says in his own blog, "I was drawn to the Palestinian struggle as a result of friendship with prominent Palestinian exiles while still a student."  I say that his knowledge stopped with that connection.

This man, born in 1930, is a Princeton graduate and professor.  He has committed the outlandish act of posting an anti-Semitic cartoon that was condemned last year by David Cameron, British Prime Minister on his  blog. The cartoon depicted a dog with a Jewish head-covering  and a sweater with the letters "USA" urinating on Lady Justice while devouring bloody human bones. By doing so, he effectively provided an international warrant for terrorism.  He used language and logic used by terrorists of Jewish community centers, synagogues and schools throughout the world. It was then copied onto the Palestine Chronicle and other websites.  Racist remarks against Jews, Judaism and even the US government is unacceptable, and by an American Jew is disgusting. 

Since then he has copped a plea of ignorance for what he had done and posted on his blog.  Are we supposed to accept this idea that he has no idea of what amounts to anti-Semitism?  Give me a break!  The very worst type of anti-Semitism comes from Jews themselves.

Hillel Neuer of UN Watch has written to Obama and other world leaders condemning Falk's diatribe in that he is not upholding standards required by the UN.   Falk is the UNHRC's Special Rapporteur for the permanent investigation of "Israel's violations of bases and principles of international law."  He has published racist remarks against Jews and Judaism.  He must see himself in a special class of one unique person.  He certainly doesn't agree with several other Jewish international law experts.  I note that Israel  expelled  Falk in 2008, and according to the video posted below, Falk didn't seem to have the understanding I do as to why.

Resource: UN Watch  briefing@unwatch.org.  UN's Richard Falk accuses "organized Jewish community" of crimes against Palestinians" UN Watch urges President Obama to take action.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_A._Falk
http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2011/07/07/after-jewish-dog-cartoon-uns-richard-falk-apologizes-to-jews-and-animals/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkF1XxdXQFc
http://richardfalk.wordpress.com/ Falk's blog