New Egyptian game: Hit the 'Israeli' MP with a shoe
After a fellow MP hurled a shoe at him, well-known Egyptian website posts virtual game to hit MP Tawfiq Okasha with a shoe in response to his meeting with Israeli ambassador Haim Koren.
A new virtual game in Egypt allows players to hit with a shoe the "unruly" parliamentarian Tawfiq Okasha, after his recent meeting with the Israeli ambassador to Egypt.
In the game, posted on well-known Egyptian website Al-Youm Al-Saba, Okasha appears in front of an Israeli flag, and players are invited to "Hit the Israeli parliamentarian with a shoe." The players can also heal the Egyptian MP at any point in the game in order to hit him again and watch him suffer further injuries.
The game is inspired by MP Kamal Ahmed, who earlier this week hurled a shoe at Okasha himself in protest of the latter's meeting with Israeli ambassador Haim Koren.
The Egyptian parliament decided on Monday to suspend Okasha for the next ten sessions. Officials explained that he was suspended for speaking against parliament and its speaker, and not because of his meeting with Koren. Moreover, a team formed on Sunday to examine Okasha's conduct recommended suspending him.
The speaker of the Egyptian parliament called the session to a close immediately after MP Ahmed hit MP Okasha with his shoe. "Okasha deserves 90 million shoes. I wanted to shoot him," Ahmed told Egyptian newspaper Al-Wattan. "What I did reflects the opinion of the Egyptian people. I did what I did because I am an Egyptian member of parliament on behalf of the people and I represent them. I will hit him with a shoe, every time I see him."
More than 100 members of parliament asked the speaker of parliament to add Okasha's meeting to the agenda and demanded that he is dismissed from parliament.
Okasha and Israeli Ambassador to Egypt Haim Koren met on Wednesday after the former invited him on his television program. Photos of the meeting have inspired harsh criticisms against Okasha who, on his part, told Egyptian newspaper, Al-Tahrir, "I recognize the State of Israel and all of our agreements are consistent with my world view." He also said he may meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu soon, quite possibly in the next two weeks.
On Sunday, Okasha discussed the issue at length on an Egyptian television program. He argued that everything he did was for the betterment of Egypt and claimed that his opponents' attacks ironically serve his interests. He also attacked President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, who he contends is surrounding himself with Nasserites who do not realize they live in the 21st century - with this also relating to their attitude towards Israel.
Okasha went on to say that Egypt was under an economic, diplomatic and marities siege and that Israel was responsible for that - so it made since to talk to Israel. He also presented photos of a smiling al-Sisi meeting with the Israeli ambassador, and claimed it was Netanyahu who convinced the White House to organized a meeting between Obama and al-Sisi.
Mustafa Bakri, an Egyptian journalist leading the anti-Okasha campaign, tweeted that "Tawfiq Okasha welcoming the enemy Israeli ambassador at his house is a scandal, without exception."
He added that "the Camp David Accords are no excuse for him and others like him to meet with the Zionist ambassador while ignoring the blood of those slain in the homeland and Islamic nation." Bakri, who is now a highly coveted interview subject, also accused Okasha of visiting Israel, while an Egyptian news outlet published photos of Okasha and his show's team in Israel.
