A few days ago, seemingly out of the blue, Palestinian activists starting tweeting “F*** Egypt.” Many people started asking, Why f*** Egypt? What do you mean? Who are Palestinians, who’ve managed to be occupied by three warring forces—Israel, the PA and Hamas—to dare say such a thing to Egyptians?
We Palestinians had immense expectations in the Egyptian revolution. The outlook of the revolution made us think that a change is coming and the revolution will leave good traces on the Palestinian situation , specially the situation of Gaza. We even celebrated more than the Egyptians themselves when Mubarak stepped down (at least that’s what it felt like). Everyone in Gaza took to the streets dancing, singing, shooting in the air and fireworks were filling the sky of Gaza. We were so emotional, happy and thinking that this is the time to say good bye to the siege and welcome freedom.
Truth be told, some of us activists were telling Israel, Hamas and the PA to “f*** off” in the months before Egyptians gave the finger to Mubarak, as evidenced by the founding of the Gaza Youth Breaks Out movement. But with the Pharaoh gone we started working for a change inside Gaza to fit with the change in Egypt, to build a better situation for both sides. We and the Egyptians celebrated when Mubarak stepped down, but not because the most hated dictator was down, but because we were convinced that with him would end the inhumane policies he stood for: not merely his tight grip on the country, but also his bonds with Israel, which made Egypt responsible in good measure for the imprisonment of the people of Gaza. We were hopping that the revolution would bring the people of Egypt and Palestine together, that the Rafah crossing would be open 24 hours a day, that the treatment toward Palestinians by the Egyptian government would become more humane. We had lots of hopes and dreams; but the more time has passed, the more we’ve lost the hope, while all the dreams we built after the revolution are vanishing. Apparently we were totally wrong. In fact, the Egyptian policies never changed toward Palestinians with Mubarak stepping down. it’s getting much worse day by day, or change by change.
A couple of weeks ago, the picture of a young Egyptian woman went around the world. She was stripped and brutally beaten in front of cameras, but it wasn’t the brutality that made her a symbol for the current post Mubarak Egypt. She became a symbol because she is the living proof that Egypt without Mubarak is the same as Egypt with Mubarak. The men who beat her up and stripped her off were not only the ones that were celebrated for protecting the people against police violence during the revolution, they also were supposed to be the promise for a common struggle towards a better new government. A temporarily military rule it was supposed to be, giving time and power to the people to build up a democratic system. But while the pictures of military brutality go around the world, there is a much quieter and less prominent proof that the new regime is betraying the people’s hope in it. If you want to find out what that is, be a Palestinian. Be a Palestinian in Gaza, or be one in Egypt. You will feel it, notice it, and experience it every day, in your every move.
As a Palestinian, you are not allowed to go in certain areas since its considered as a tourism place for Israelis. For a Palestinian getting into southern sinai areas is forbidden and if a Palestinian managed to tour these areas with a special permission, he’ll be watched by the Egyptian intelligence 24 hours a day. As a Palestinian, you are not allowed to stay in Egypt more than 72 hours unless you are a student or an employer otherwise, your stay will be considered illegal. As a Palestinian, you feel the humiliation when you go to the governmental organization and you see the special treatment toward westerners and you’re considered as a threat to the Egyptian security.
As a Palestinian, I want a successful Egyptian revolution and I want to feel the positive change in Gaza.
Gaza Youth Breaks Out 
#1 by Ahmed on January 14, 2012 - 2:17 am
I am Egyptian and i feel exactly the same as you, i don’t think the average Egyptian is happy about any of that, i hope you guys understand that we, as a people, are always with you, we are your brothers and sisters, we keep having more problems appear after Mubarak stepped down, it is harder than anyone thought, but we are not giving up, and we are not forgetting you. Thanks for reporting about how our government treats our Palestinian brothers and sisters, we hear you, it is not much different to how it treats us, we hope it will change with effort.
#2 by Amal A on January 14, 2012 - 2:18 am
How about F#$% SCAF instead of Egypt? Then there will be no confusion. No?
#3 by Youssef on January 14, 2012 - 2:28 am
i’m with you in everything you said. i was happy and optimistic of the revolution esp for Palestine at all and Gaza in particular. not just of the Egyptian revolution of the Arab raising revolutions but in Egypt it’s not easy as many people think we had to take off the tree with the roots and not just being happy and celebrate that we cut the tree because actually we had cut just the useless part of it but the must important what made it standing and growing till this time anyway it’s not our subject but as i don’t accept from anyone to say Israel instead of Palestine or F*** Gaza Egypt is my home land which occupied unfortunately by some of her dirty sons, F****in regime and that’s what made you fed up of Egypt. so PLEASE don’t say F*** Egypt again because as we all say and know EGYPT is the mother of the world but in the same time EGYPT is the beloved sister of PALESTINE.
last is let’s all F*** Israehell .
Egyptian in love with Palestine
#4 by realist1 on January 26, 2012 - 8:58 pm
do u even know an israeli?
#5 by unity1 on January 14, 2012 - 2:42 am
you deserve it – so let the people create it and for it to be successful all the political systems that govern us need to be pulled down – exposed and rebuilt in a humanistic way with no walls of separation no bull shite talks of wars …base it on the international human rights declaration which no government fully respects or stands by ….when this happens you will be free and its something that you will have to continue to work towards and the rest of us who join with you in spirit will help with in our respective nations …we the people have to reclaim our freedoms …our world our lives from the dark forces that see only obstacles to their power and profit – don’t be fooled ….governments are all in the hands of big bank$ and a constant war footing is big money to them
this is what OCCUPY is doing in individual nations – this is where the real power is – if we the people – call for strikes call for global day of unity where everyone stops work and see then where the real power is ….bring the country to its capitalistic knees ..and then rebuild it – your history is ancient ancient ancient – return to the old ways to do this …there are many ways to do this now for now is the time ….the old cycle is giving way under its own materialistic weight – know that there are millions in support of your goal – you are not alone
#6 by Moustafa Youssef on January 14, 2012 - 3:45 am
Of course this no way represents the views of Palestinians or off the intelligent youth in Gaza. This was by some angry tweeterers who were probably in a bit of a pickle when they tweeted this and didn’t spend a milisecond refining their thought. I spoke to Gazans since the Egyptian revolution and the seige has eased up drastically. Things are not perfect, but our revolution is still young. As Palestinians you should know that revolutions aren’t clockwork, they take time and lots ofeffort. I think the families and friends of the martyrs would be insulted by your arrogance, and who did not risk their lives for the seige in Gaza. We have a huge regime still to topple. Those we tweeeted Fuck Egypt were probably just momentarily angry and do not understand how revolutions work or what`s happening in Egypt. I invite them to take a deep breath and look at what’s happening and who is to blame (SCAF!) for the ongoing policies Egyptian government has maintained towards Gaza. They should know very well it is not at all representative of what Egyptians believe or advocate.
#7 by lubna on January 14, 2012 - 6:19 am
we, Palestinians, need to understand that the world does not evolve around us. the Egyptian revolution is not successful yet and it will be sometime until it is. when it is, we shouldn’t assume that we are at the top of the agenda of the changes that will happen.
#8 by ftmmoe on January 14, 2012 - 9:56 am
I’m Palestinian and refuse the world f*** Egypt. Egyptians are our brothers and sisters and they always stand with us … we can’t judge Egypt according to (SCAF) behaviors.. this is a wrong way of presenting … long life EGYPT … long life Palestine
#9 by Radmila Montenegro on January 14, 2012 - 10:53 am
F… Egyptian rulers, certainly.
#10 by realist1 on January 14, 2012 - 4:02 pm
do you really trust egypt to look out for the interests of Palestinians? sure, it is easy to say “we stand with our brothers and sisters” but the egyptians are ripping themselves apart. They don’t treat each other respectfully. look at all the violence against each other, and looting, and myriad of other crimes, that do not involve police or SCAF, and you know it is true.
the fight to bring down mubarak required violence, but not every part of revolution does. peace, and compromise, are Egypt’s best way forward. Democracy is slow, institutionally and purposefully, to allow for time for people to get used to change. if the Egyptians will allow themselves to remain a “revolutionary” mob, nothing but more crimes will be committed, by the mob and by the other forces.
if Palestinian people are relying on Egypt for a better life, then the battle is already lost. all of the violent regimes that have been half supported amongst the Palestinian people (at least) need to be disavowed. show peace and respect, and see how the internal path towards freedom builds naturally, without dictators or foreign skullduggery. a secular armed forces with a standard rules of engagement protocols would allow the palestinian people to build a real country.
#11 by Dan Simmons on January 14, 2012 - 6:58 pm
You want a better life? Ask yourself why Israel should welcome you, when the other 22 Arab nations who you call “brothers” will not allow to immigrate. Why havent Egypt or Syria or Jordon or Lebanon and any of the many many others invited you in. Welcomed you? Israel, who is so tiny CANNOT intergrate you into the country anymore than putting a basketball in a golf hole. When Jews were threatened throughout history, they found countries to accept them (USA, Canada etc…). And where is Israel’s incentive to try and help you, when you teach your children from birth…to hate Jews and Israel.
We are not even going to get into the history of suicide bombings in their restaraunts and buses.
So why is it Israels fault that your lives are not what you want them to be?
Dont reply with…but Israel is their home. That boat has sailed. You cannot undo the past. Your revolution to bring justice to your people should be aimed at your own people.
Let Israel live in peace.
#12 by marianne on January 15, 2012 - 12:34 am
Fuck to the regime in Egypt! Not to the people.
#13 by guadalupegaza on January 15, 2012 - 3:53 pm
My heart goes out to you Palestinians. I am with you in my disappointment with the Egyptian revolution. But it is not F Egypt you should say, but F the Egyptian Military, who seems to be the ones who continue control of the system. I have been there. I know the Egyptian people love you. When I went there and people learned that I was going to Gaza, I was welcomed with open arms, given donations for you. I know the word patience is difficult to swallow. I have little of it, but be patient. It is the Egyptians themselves, who are still struggling to be free and you will also benefit when this happens.
Inshallah, soon.
Julie
#14 by Ramy Mahmoud on January 16, 2012 - 8:17 pm
The only way to end the Egyptian, Palestinian, or any Middle-Eastern problems is to end the borders that were set up to divide us. I was BORN in Egypt but I am not Egyptian. I do not get all choked up on flags and nationalism, that is what pharaoh wanted all along. I am a Muslim man from the country called Arabia, or better yet, Africa.
#15 by Mohamed on May 15, 2012 - 6:09 pm
At least the Rafah crossing is open – trust me, if Hamdan Sabahi or Abu Fatouh wins the election, good things will come to the Palestinians. Be angry at ur fellow Palestinians who support Israel by working for them or buying iSraeli-supported goods.
#16 by Mohammed Aljazeera on May 25, 2012 - 8:27 am
If the Rafah crossing is not open 24/7 June 18, and the votes were not rigged, then Fuck Egypt!