Khaberni - Journalist Ibrahim Issa sparked widespread anger after rejecting a donation for the reconstruction of Gaza, directly responding to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's call for citizens to contribute to reconstruction efforts.
Issa said in a video broadcast on his social media accounts: "No, I won’t donate for Gaza... what’s necessary for the home is denied to the mosque," adding that he doesn’t accept the outbidding over Egyptians' love and loyalty towards the Palestinian cause, but he justified his stance by describing what he called "the poor reputation of donations" over the past years, claiming that a large part of the funds collected for Gaza in previous periods "was plundered."
Issa added that President Sisi’s talk about launching a national mechanism for collecting donations differs from previous initiatives, indicating that he trusts the state to supervise the directing of funds through official channels. However, Issa questioned the usefulness of donating by saying, "Who guarantees that Gaza will not be destroyed again? Are we building it to be bombed again?"
Issa's statements provoked widespread criticism on social media, as many activists and journalists saw it as "an inhumane stance at a tragic moment experienced by the Palestinian people."
In response to his colleague’s statements, media personality Amro Adib during his show "El Hekaya" on MBC Egypt urged Egyptians to donate by saying, "Do not abandon Gaza. These aren't donations for Hamas, but for a people waiting for food and medicine. The warfare has ended, and now we are in the feeding stage."
Adib added: "Egypt bears huge burdens from the war; we lost billions in the Suez Canal and pay the price for the daily aid. It is not right to say (what do we have to do with it)... these are our brothers."
Last Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on citizens to participate in a national campaign for the reconstruction of Gaza, confirming that Egypt will host an international conference dedicated to the reconstruction of the sector in November, and charging Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly with launching a mechanism for collecting donations in coordination with civil society institutions.
