Leave Morsi alone
Op-ed: Egyptian researcher says opposition presenting distorted picture of reality under Islamist regime
Two and-a-half years have passed since the January 25 revolution, and a year has passed since a president was elected for the first time in Egypt's history. In a democracy, as far as I understand it, election results must be accepted and the will of the majority must be respected. And I say this despite not being a supporter of President Mohamed Morsi. I was surprised to see that the opposition does not want to recognize the fact that Morsi is the president of Egypt and has made every effort to disrupt his work since the new government was established.
The opposition claims Morsi reneged on his promises. We all know promises made during election campaigns are not always fulfilled, because things do not look the same once you've come into a position of power. We saw an example of this during the US elections, when Obama made many promises he did not keep but was re-elected anyway. In Israel, Netanyahu was elected to a third term despite all the frustration over the previous government's policies. And what about Yair Lapid, who promised not to raise taxes but did exactly that immediately after he was appointed finance minister?
The opposition in Egypt does not want to accept the election results and is taking advantage of the poverty in the country to incite the street against the new president because he is member of the Islamist movement. Undoubtedly, we had our fears regarding the prospect of a Muslim Brotherhood regime. We all feared it would lead the country to war with Israel, but the fact is this did not happen. I am not defending the president or the Muslim Brotherhood regime, but I am defending democracy. What are elections worth if the loser does not accept their results?
The numerous mistakes made by the Muslim Brotherhood since rising to power stem from two reasons: First of all, they have no experience in running a country. This is the first time any of the movement's members have ever held key positions in the government. Secondly, they are trying to please everyone, even their opponents. This, in my opinion, is a mistake. I remember that during the most recent war in Gaza, the Israeli people wanted the IDF to invade the Hamas-ruled territory. Then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the government is not always obliged to listen to the street. The opposition in Egypt continues to attack the regime under the banner of human rights and freedom of expression.
Anti-Morsi protest in Cairo (Photo: AP)
The opposition is trying to project to the outside world that the Egyptian people do not want Morsi in office, but this is not true. Those who truly love Egypt realize this is not the way to make a regime change. Regimes are replaced only through the ballots. Have you ever seen a soccer team replace its coach at halftime because the team was losing 1:0?
Following the revolution, everyone here spoke of adopting the Turkish model. We've all seen how the Turkish regime is dealing with the protesters at Taksim Square. Egyptian police are attacked with firebombs and live fire on an almost daily basis, yet they do not dare protect themselves for fear of criticism from human rights groups and "revolutionaries."
In order to achieve stability in Egypt, we must all agree on one system – a true democracy, or perhaps some other system. The people's choice must be respected, regardless of who is elected president. The president must be given an opportunity to implement his plan. If he fails, the people can elect a new leader in the next elections.
I can understand Israel's fears in light of the rise of an Islamic regime in Egypt, but Israeli statesmen are aware that the relations between the countries are influenced by several other things. I only ask that the Israeli media present a full picture of the developments in Egypt, not just the perspective of the regime's opponents.
Amar Zachary is an Egyptian expert on Israeli affairs
