For decades, Egypt was, by virtue of its position and position at the forefront of Arab and Islamic countries that interact with what is happening in the Palestinian territories, especially Jerusalem, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the first of the two qiblahs and the third of the Two Holy Mosques.

Egyptians remember how universities, trade unions, and sometimes schools, in Cairo and major cities, used to ignite demonstrations of anger whenever an attack by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinians occurred, especially if the arena was Jerusalem.

However, in recent years there has been a significant decline in the Egyptian pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the face of the brutality of the Israeli occupation, and the last demonstration took place modestly in 2017 on the ladders of the Journalists Syndicate to object to the US transfer of its embassy to Jerusalem, and ended with the arrest of a number of activists, journalists, and university students who participated. In similar demonstrations.

The confrontations that erupted between the Palestinians and the Israeli occupation forces, which are trying to displace families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood from their homes and hand them over to Israeli settlers, and storm Al-Aqsa Mosque.

To demonstrate the disappearance of any demonstration or a single call to demonstrate in solidarity with the people of Jerusalem.

It was at least a time when the Arab countries met with demonstrations in support of Palestine, conferences and strong statements ... My time, unfortunately, a thousand regret for us ... # Jerusalem_ rises up

- Aalaa Abdelrafea (@aalaa_khalili) May 8, 2021

What are the reasons for stopping the Egyptians from supporting Palestine by demonstrating .. Is it a decline in the Egyptians ’interest in the Palestinian cause?

Or is it the severe suppression of demonstrations of all kinds as a policy pursued by the current regime?

Political activist Muhammad Al-Kashef began his speech with Al-Jazeera Net by remembering how Egypt's universities and schools and its streets were filled with demonstrations with every assault on Palestinians, and how posters of support for Jerusalem were covering the walls of institutions and buildings.

Al-Kashef attributes the disappearance of demonstrations and activities in support of Palestine and Jerusalem to the wide difference in the security services' dealings with the demonstrators now compared to the period of the late President Hosni Mubarak.

During his rule, the arrested did not complete a few days in detention, then they were released after a lecture by the State Security officer about the need to take into account the conditions of the country, and the need not to resort to violence or attacks on facilities.

And we felt - according to al-Kashef - that the officers in their hearts respected us and did not hate us, in complete contrast to what is happening now.

When activists organized a sit-in in 2017 after the US embassy in Israel was transferred to Jerusalem on the ladder of the Journalists Syndicate, those arrested at the time felt that the officers saw them as enemies of the homeland, and there were those who remained in pretrial detention for about two years.

Huan in the eyes

Meanwhile, political analyst Alaa Farouk believes that the decline in media interest in the Palestinian issue in general had a great impact on the Egyptian interaction with what is happening in Jerusalem, whether at the level of elites, intellectuals, activists, and even at the popular level.

Farouk indicated - in his interview with Al Jazeera Net - that the internal conflicts and the bloody suppression of opponents, especially what Egyptians witnessed after July 30, 2013, and the many scenes of blood.

They underestimated what is happening in Palestine.

They have seen the Egyptian - and indeed Arab - security services deal with their citizens with cruelty more than what they see from the Israeli occupation soldiers.

Compass change opponent

And many media outlets have turned into an opponent of the Palestinians, especially the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which most of the financiers of media channels, Emiratis and Saudis, see in it as an enemy affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and "demonized" it by those channels;

It also contributed to changing the compass of those affected by those channels away from the Palestinian issue, and limiting the enemies to sister countries instead of Israel.

According to Farouk's words.

On the other hand, journalist and activist Muhammad Saleh attributes the decline of Egyptians ’interest in the Palestinian issue to the pressures of life besieging Egyptians, as most of them are no longer paid enough after liberalizing the exchange rate of the pound, and the successive and large increases in basic commodity prices and gas, electricity and water bills that have devoured their income. Some of them resorted to additional work that kills their remaining time

Saleh added to Al-Jazeera Net that there is a large part of Egyptians who have come to see that they do not have the luxury of participating in a demonstration or any kind of protest, so they are arrested and absent from their work, and may be dismissed from it.

However, he affirms that the withdrawal from participating in activities in support of Palestine does not mean that the issue is completely over.

This is evidenced by the great interaction with the hashtags in support of Jerusalem and Palestine on social media, and the sorrow that emanates from the tweets of some people over their inability to announce their solidarity by posting pictures of a wall that says "Sorry, Palestine ... we are also occupiers."

Great support on social media

It seems that many Egyptian and Arab activists have tried to compensate for the Arab street’s absence from supporting the Palestinians by interacting on social media, and by launching hashtags condemning what is happening in Jerusalem. They will send the voices of the Palestinians to the whole world.

On the other hand, some tweets appeared confirming the decline in interest in the issue, and blaming the Palestinians, stressing that every nation has its own issues, and there is no time to sympathize with the issues of others, they said.

- She was seen in Cairo.

# Jerusalem_Rising #Save_Hykh_Jarrah # Al-Aqsa Mosque pic.twitter.com/Kc5Gd1rTwe

- Hosam Yahia (@HosamYahiaAJ) May 8, 2021

This land does not accommodate two identities


. As for us ... or we,


we are the ones who are passing through


Palestine 🇵🇸


You have love and adoration from the Egyptian people God bless you


in the silence of the world .. We will send your voices to the world # struggle_ and cooperation_ Jerusalem_ us

- Karim Canned (@ P6yDR3DFcRO62jt) May 9, 2021

I am not only older than you ... I am greater than your country


In the silence of the world ... we will send your voices 💔


Praying alone is not enough ...


Praying alone will not stop the blood ... # Save the Sheikh_ Jarrah neighborhood # Save the Sheikh_ Jarrah neighborhood # Palestine # Jerusalem # with struggle_ and cooperation_ Jerusalem_ for us pic.twitter.com/4A6VTxGs

- Karim Mohamed (@ KarimMo81079590) May 9, 2021

The world is silent because it is not interested .. Take care of your affairs and do not disgust us. Thank you ..


No one who is not shameful or hateful in you. You exploited your cause with all forms of exploitation.


Every one has his own case, thank you.

- Aram (@ Aram__369) May 9, 2021