CAIRO – When Ahmed el-Shahat, climbing like the film hero Spiderman, scaled a 22-storey high-rise building that houses the Israeli embassy to replace the Israeli flag on its roof with the Egyptian one, he reflected a new Egyptian spirit. The message that el-Shahat and all other Egyptians gathering in the vicinity of the embassy premises in Giza have been conveying is quite clear: there is no room in Egypt today for tolerance of Israeli atrocities. Shahat is neither a political nor a human rights activist; he is rather an ordinary Egyptian citizen who felt the urge to carry out a symbolic act. In bringing down the flag, el-Shahat expressed a massive feeling of hatred towards an entity that has done nothing but harm to Egypt, Palestine and the entire region. Such feelings were often suppressed under the Mubarak regime, which was on good terms with Israel at the official level. The January revolution has given vent to formerly suppressed thoughts and opinions regarding issues that touch upon the lives of the people. Today, the angry protesters, who have gathered in front of the building overlooking the River Nile in Giza, wish that the Egyptian government would be also inspired by the revolution. They desire to see the day when the Government would be strong and firm in its reaction towards Israel's breaching of agreements and violation of neighbourly relations. The Egyptians clearly refuse to be inferior to Israel, rejecting any form of offence that was usually absolved under the old regime. There is no better time than today for a reassessment of the relation between the two countries. No one is speaking of war but of equality and of Egypt's right to amend the Camp David accord whereby Egyptian borders would be secured.
