Dalia Ziada Sparks Outrage with Pro-Israel Remarks in Controversial Interview
Egyptian Activist Faces Backlash After Defending Israeli Actions and Criticizing Palestinian Resistance
Watan-In statements that sparked widespread outrage both within Egypt and abroad, Egyptian activist Dalia Ziada appeared in an interview with the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies, attacking the Palestinian resistance and claiming that the Israeli occupation is “fighting terrorism on behalf of the entire Middle East.”
Ziada described the October 7 operation carried out by the resistance as a “horrific massacre,” and said that what Hamas did cannot be justified in any way. She argued that Israel’s response is justified and comparable to what “any democratic state would do when facing a similar attack,” in her words.
Despite the ongoing Israeli massacres in Gaza and the thousands of civilian casualties, Dalia chose to ignore these crimes and instead attacked Arab media for what she claimed was “bias toward the Palestinian narrative,” alleging that this “hinders peace efforts.”
Ziada’s Normalization Push Sparks Arab Outrage
Her remarks, which were described as sympathetic to the occupation, came at a critical time when public anger across the Arab world is intensifying over the continued war crimes in Gaza. Criticism grew even harsher after social media users circulated her posts on X (formerly Twitter), where she claimed that Arabs in Israel “live in true freedom and democracy” and promoted the idea of full normalization that would integrate Israel into the fabric of the region.
A wave of backlash quickly erupted on social media, with many describing her as “Israel’s voice from Cairo,” while others called for her to be held accountable and stripped of her Egyptian citizenship for what they considered “moral collaboration” with the Zionist enemy, and for spreading information that serves its narrative and harms Egyptian and Arab national security.
Ziada also posted an illustration showing women from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, and Israel chatting and laughing together, with the caption: “This is how I imagine the Middle East… no wars, no prejudices!”—a clear signal of her support for full normalization with Israel.
