“Who would dare go there? We see that the mob does what it wants, not fearing the police or the military.”
Now, why is that?
More evidence of the rapid re-Islamization of Egypt: “Egypt cancels Jewish festival amid security concerns,” by Leila Fadel and Samuel Sockol in the Washington Post, January 11 (thanks to David):
CAIRO “” Egypt on Wednesday canceled a Jewish festival held in the Nile Delta each year, citing concerns about the local response to heightened security at a time of uncertainty between Egypt and Israel.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Amr Roshdi said the decision to cancel Saturday”s event at the tomb of Jewish holy man Rabbi Yaakov Abu Hatzira had been relayed to Israeli officials and reflected a wish not to “provoke public discussion on the relationship with Israel.”
The festival, which draws hundreds of Israeli pilgrims annually, has often sparked angry reactions from local villagers objecting to the intensive security arrangements.
“The situation is not suitable to have it this year with all that’s going on in Egypt: the elections, the police trying to reassert control and the protests,” Roshdi said….
“Who would dare go there?” Rabbi Yeiel Abu Hatzira said. “We see that the mob does what it wants, not fearing the police or the military.”
The festival was allowed by Mubarak but kept low-key, with a limited number of pilgrims allowed to attend. He suspended it in 2009 because it came as Israel was conducting an offensive in Gaza. It resumed last year.