The eternal enemy: trends in coverage of Israel in the Egyptian national press during the first decade of President Hosni Mubarak’s rule

This article aims to shed light on Israel’s media coverage and construction of image in the Egyptian national press during the first decade of President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak’s government complied with the terms of the peace agreement and believed in its necessity as vital for the country but was not eager to normalize relations with Israel. The ‘national’ media in Egypt, which was owned and controlled by the state, reflected this attitude. The newspapers usually attacked Israel, publishing articles and investigative reports in which Israel was accused of malicious crimes. Although the national press legitimized the peace agreements with Israel, after Camp David the State of Israel continued to be the eternal enemy. This article aims to answer two main questions: how and under what circumstances was the image of Israel shaped in the Egyptian ‘national’ press during the first decade after the signing of the peace agreements between the two countries, and whether the press coverage of Israel changed following significant geopolitical events in the Middle East.