Page 5 - issue 29 En

ELITE ISSUE 29, MARCH 2021

and political approach Purely not based on a in any war is to collect enough information about
historical approach. We worked with him for two the enemy as the first step, so this procedure took
years, and for me they were a very important period place. Professor Muhammad Hassanein Heikal was
of construction, and it gave me an opportunity to the head of Al-Ahram at that time, and his
expand my historical knowledge, and I began to think relationship was close to Gamal Abdel Nasser, and
of this history as a scientific and political system. he suggested that this centre be established and
And I spent a long time in Dar Al Kutub in Bab Al specialized in studying Israel and the Palestinian
Khalq, and gathered new information from it. And issue. Therefore, he first established the unity of
through this work, he asked me to be with him in this Palestine and Israel, and this unit was transformed
centre (AL-Ahram), specifically during the second in the year 1970 to a centre called the Centre for
foundation stage of the centre, and I worked with him Palestinian and Zionist Studies. And the first study
and started my relationship with the centre at this on Israel in the Arab world began from this centre
time and it has not been cut off until now. in conjunction with the Institute for Palestine
You have a rich journey of research and Studies in Beirut, and cooperation occurred
journalism together, so let's ask, what is the between them. Then the centre developed to
essential difference between a journalist in Al- expand the activities of the centre and be a centre
Ahram newspaper and a researcher at Al-Ahram for political and strategic studies, to deal with Arab
Centre? and regional issues, and this historical coincidence
Of course, there is a big difference. The centre is a made it present in a press institution, and the
research centre that happens to be located in a press advantage of this centre is that it allows the readers
institution and it is a historical coincidence, and it is of newspapers and magazines to see some of the
the first centre for strategic studies in the Middle analysis produced by the centre.
East. Its first nucleus was formed in the year 68. And What do you think of the future of the extreme
it was established in its first form in the year 70, and right after Trump's departure?
it took a new image in the year 75. It is a research In my opinion, I do not like the term extreme right,
centre founded on the European and American style which is an expression that has no real standard. I
at that time, and the motive for its establishment was prefer to use the term far right. This right exists in
to realize the existing authority in Egypt because we America even before Trump. Of course, the first
fought a war with an enemy that we did not know defeat of this right was in the fifties, and it is based
about, and the leadership was underestimating the on a simple idea that is superior to the White
war and the enemy alike. There was no knowledge of House Consequently, he rejected any rights to the
the Zionist entity, despite its experience and the voice and other opinions, with time the trends of
development of its army. And it goes without saying
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