- Text smaller
- Text bigger
A writer in Egypt is demanding that his nation sue Israel over the 10 biblical plagues.
“We want compensation for the plagues that were inflicted upon [us] as a result of the curses that the Jews’ ancient forefathers [cast] upon our ancient forefathers, who did not deserve to pay for the mistake that Egypt’s ruler at the time, Pharaoh, committed,” said columnist Ahmad al-Gamal, in a column in the Egyptian daily Al-Yawm Al-Sabi.
The column was spotted and cited by officials with the Middle East Media Research Institute, which monitors and comments on media in the Middle East.
The commentator also advocated suing Israel for the “precious materials” used by the Israelites to build their desert tabernacle, Turkey for damages for invading Egypt during the Ottoman empire and France for Napoleon’s invasion.
And he wants Britain to pay for 72 years of occupation.
“For what is written in the Torah proves that it was Pharaoh who oppressed the children of Israel, rather than the Egyptian people. [But] they inflicted upon us the plague of locusts that didn’t leave anything behind them; the plague that transformed the Nile’s waters into blood, so nobody could drink of them for a long time; the plague of darkness that kept the world dark day and night; the plague of frogs; and the plague of the killing of the firstborn, namely every first offspring born to woman or beast, and so on,” he wrote.
“We want compensation for the gold, silver, copper, precious stones, fabrics, hides and lumber, and for [all] animal meat, hair, hides and wool, and for other materials that I will mention [below], when quoting the language of the Torah. All these are materials that the Jews used in their rituals. These are resources that cannot be found among desert wanderers unless they took them before their departure…” he continued.
The MEMRI report noted al-Gamal calls for using “all measures of the law” to collect compensation.”
He quotes the Bible’s description of the Exodus.
“The stories of the Holy Scriptures state that the Israelites set off from the [Nile] valley at night and went to the Sinai Peninsula. This is known to be a desert, were there is no use for large quantities of gold, silver, precious stones, meats, oils, fabrics and the like. Therefore it is clear that the Israelites took all these things from Egypt before they left. Chapter 25 of Exodus, on the [Israelites'] departure [from Egypt], states: ‘The Lord said to Moses: Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering… These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.”
He also notes the construction of the portable tabernacle assembled by the Israelites used acacia wood and gold, as well as linens.
He even cites the mental injury from Egypt’s long history.
“We want compensation from the Turks for damaging the Egyptian psyche through their racism and haughtiness, their contempt for Egypt and the Egyptians, and their disgraceful treatment of the peasant as someone who [merely] plows, sows and reaps – although the harvest from the sweat of his brow filled the stomachs of the indolent Ottomans,” he said.
The plagues included turning the Nile’s water into blood, frogs, lice, flies, diseased livestock, boils, thunder and hail, locusts, darkness, and the deaths of the firstborn.
