New Egyptian antisemitic novel released

Recently, a novel was released called "The Jews of Alexandria."

It has been reviewed positively in the Egyptian press. and it was one of the featured titles at a recent book fair.

It is also antisemitic.

The plot goes like this:

John, a Jewish barber surgeon, succeeds in curing Said of Egypt, a real 19th century Egyptian ruler, of a disease when everybody else fails.

He is rewarded by Said with lands around Alexandria, and there is a plan to make these lands a settlement for poor Jews, who would work those lands. But a family feud breaks out (in John's family) and they kill him and take over the land.

In order to cover up their deed, they decide to make him into a "holy man" like Abu Hatzeira, a popular saint, whose grave would attract many worshippers (a common thing among Jews and Muslims).

Then a new generation of Jews emerges after WWII, who try to blend into Egyptian society, "which was welcoming, and not hateful towards them or tried to take revenge on them like Adolf Hitler". When the State of Israel is born, they immigrate there, and "follow the same pattern" like they did in Egypt - taking over lands, creating false holy places.

The review of the book at Al Ahram this week says the book tries to be sympathetic towards Jews but you just can't make those evil people look good::

Because of the subject matter, which is the life of Jews in general, the author tries to penetrate the thinking within the Jewish community and understand customs and traditions and its way of thinking over several decades, trying to upset the prevailing stereotypes about Jews that Egyptians have. But he does not succeed in this because the Jews are the Jews, in their greed and cajoling and lies and hatred of others, and sex trafficking and the use of women to gain access to their belongings. Thus, the narrator proves more and more that the stereotype of Jews is true.

(h/t Ibn Boutros)

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