DeKalb GA News

A new claim has emerged from publications affiliated with the Egyptian government, alleging that Israel and the United States have been instrumental in establishing Islamist terrorist organizations. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported that government-published articles suggest, “the U.S. and Israel are the ones who established the Islamist terrorist organizations al-Qaida, ISIS and others like them, and that these countries are responsible for instigating terrorism throughout the world.”

One such claim was made by Sa’id Shalash in the government daily Al-Ahram. Shalash stated that the failure of ISIS and other Islamist groups to assist Gaza by targeting Israel "is not surprising and in fact strengthens the suspicion that these organizations were created by and are operated by the U.S. and Israel."

Journalist Muhammad Hassan al-Banna, a columnist for Akhbar al-Yawm, echoed these claims. He asserted that Jews and Americans are responsible for producing terrorism globally.

MEMRI noted, “It should be noted that the Egyptian government press is completely subordinate to Egyptian intelligence and that articles of this type are published under the direction of the Egyptian regime and Egyptian intelligence.”

Shalash argued that terrorists' lack of assistance to Gaza in its conflict with Israel points to unknown relationships between these groups and their alleged creators. He stated, “When the barbaric Zionist-American-Western aggression against Gaza started... led some people to think that ISIS and other takfiri organizations would carry out operations against [Israel]... but that did not happen.” He believes these organizations refrain from acting against Israel because they are allegedly funded and directed by both Israel and the U.S.

According to Shalash, instead of supporting Gaza, these groups have intensified attacks on positions held by Syrian Arab Army forces. He cited a 2016 statement from ISIS asserting their stance on Palestine: "If we look at the reality of the world today... jihad in Palestine is equal to jihad elsewhere, without distinction."