Mubarak inadvertantly makes the case for a Jewish State

In a recent article at Iran's Press TV Mubarak actually cites Egypt as an example of the multi-ethnic state that Israel should be:

Egypt President Hosni Mubarak says that he will not accept Israel as a "Jewish state," suggesting that Israeli leaders should follow his country's example.

In an interview with the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the Egyptian president said that he will not accept a compromise on a Palestinian recognition of a Jewish state, Ynet News reported Friday.

"Don't you have Arab citizens in Israel?" Mubarak asks. "You want to turn Israel into a Jewish state only? That is very bad. I'm telling you. It's a serious mistake which will harm you."

"A Jewish state will become the target of all terrorists. An open state, on the other hand, is a different matter. Look at us in Egypt: We have Muslims, Christians, Copts and Jews," explained the ruler of the first Arab state to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel.

(According to Jewish Virtual Library, Egypt had less than a hundreed Jews in 2004.)

About 20 percent of Israeli population is constituted by Palestinians.

Hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently conditioned Tel Aviv's acceptance of a Palestinian state to the Palestinian recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state".

The second article of Egypt's constitution reads as follows:

Islam is the religion of the state and Arabic its official language. Principles of Islamic law ( Shari'a) are the principal source of legislation.

Besides the hypocrisy, one can hardly imagine a country that is a better poster child for grim prospects for Jewish and Arab Muslim co-existence. According to a Pew Research Center poll in 2006, 98 percent of Muslims in Egypt have an "Unfavorable Views of Jews." An article reporting on the results of this poll added:

In addition, Muslims in certain countries see Jews conspiratorially, as being responsible for bad relations between Muslims and Westerners. 28 percent of Jordanians and 22 percent of Egyptians volunteered that Jews were to blame for bad relations between Muslims and the West, although Jews were not mentioned in the question.

Perhaps, Mubarak would have made his point more effectively by warning "Don't end up like my country!" (Hat tip for the source on Egypt's constitution and general reminder that his blog is indispensable: Elder of Ziyon)

Crossposted on Soccer Dad