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Dalia Ziada is an Egyptian writer. She is the author of The Curious Case of the Three-Legged Wolf – Egypt: Military, Islamism, and Liberal Democracy and other internationally acclaimed non-fiction books on Middle East politics. She currently works as the Chairperson of the Liberal Democracy Institute, and executive director of MEEM Center for Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean Studies.
During this current conflict between Hamas and Israel, Ziada expressed strong support for Israel’s military actions against Hamas. Her public stance led to significant backlash in Egypt, resulting in threats to her safety and accusations of espionage and incitement of war crimes. Ziada condemned Hamas for its attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in significant civilian casualties and abductions. She argued that the Israeli military’s response, aimed at dislodging Hamas from power in Gaza and securing the release of hostages, was justified.
These remarks sparked a significant controversy, leading to her going into hiding due to safety concerns. Her stance was seen as particularly controversial in Egypt, where public opinion tends to be critical of Israel and sympathetic towards the Palestinian cause. Despite the threats and legal challenges she faced, Ziada maintained her position, advocating for peace and condemning the actions of Islamist organizations, including Hamas.