I found an Egyptian Zionist: Here’s his story of how he came to understand the truth about what’s going on in the Middle East

May 26, 2025

Philip C. Johnson

For two decades, my work with Global Next has immersed me in the Middle East and Muslim-majority countries, training American students in leadership and geopolitics from a biblical perspective while engaging in journalism and mentoring university students in Iraq, Afghanistan, and especially Egypt through the Arab Spring, the Egyptian Revolution, and its turbulent aftermath. Despite Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel, I encountered deep, visceral anti-Israel sentiment among Egyptians, exemplified by the barrage of hateful comments and death threats I received after posting “Pray for Israel” on Facebook during a Gaza rocket attack – reactions that preceded Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault, which killed 1,200 and took 251 hostages, marking Israel’s deadliest day and sparking the ongoing Gaza war. 

Discovering Michael, an Egyptian openly supporting Israel on Instagram, was a striking contrast to the pervasive anti-Israel narratives I’ve witnessed, especially as such sentiments grow in the U.S. and even among American Christians, making his insights in this interview a vital counterpoint to widespread pro-Palestinian propaganda.

1.) Tell me about who you are and what you do? Tell me about your Instagram account. What’s its purpose/goal? Do you have other channels? 

My name is Michael, I’m Coptic and I work with special needs children. I can’t get into much more detail than that because I don’t want to attract harassment. I honestly started out the IG page, KopticKaparah0548, with zero expectations. I had “come out” with my long-form story of being pro Pali to Zionist about a month or so prior on my personal page. I had been doing a lot of pro-Israel advocacy there, but after losing/disconnecting the vast majority of my friends, I realized the majority of the friends that remained were simply indifferent to the conflict. 

Also, I needed to create some separation between my personal life, especially moments with my family, and my activism, because it can negatively impact them. I have no other channels, but we’ll see what the future holds. You can refer to me as Michael. I don’t know what my goal is for this page, but my priorities right now involve reading, uplifting Jewish & Israeli voices/stories, especially to the Arab world, and debunking the propaganda I participated in spreading.

2.) What was your view on Israel and Gaza in the year prior to the October 7th terror attack? 

I hated Israel with a passion, it didn’t matter what year it was. There were times I would take a mental health break from paying attention to the conflict, because there was an almost manageable status quo for a while, but at the end of the day, I supported the Palestinian cause and all its goals, including the so-called “right of return.” I personally hated Hamas because I also hated militant Sunni Islamism, but you always put the Palestinian cause above any personal issue you have with any aspect or actor in the conflict.

3.) What happened that began to change your mind about Israel? And about Palestine? 

In order to be pro Palestine, you have to constantly bend and circumvent the truth. You have to constantly leave out important context and details in order to sway a gullible audience. Palestinian propaganda is incredibly deceptive, and as far as online activism goes, they don’t have to answer for any falsehoods they spread. I’m not an idiot, there were certainly moments I knew I was spreading BS, and there were times I wouldn’t share certain content because it was such obvious BS. Imagine having to suspend your morals, integrity and intelligence for nearly 20 years. That’s what I had to do. And when I realized the sheer extent of the horrors on 10/7, I was and still am ashamed of myself for ever being part of a movement. I can say I was thoroughly disillusioned by the time May of 2024 had come around but nothing in me yet wanted to advocate for Israel. For a brief moment, I was sort of a “both sides” guy, but it was very momentary. I thought I’d just exit that political realm completely, but everybody in my social circle was still pro Palestine, so I was still seeing the propaganda on a daily basis. 

What really pushed me off was when Noa was rescued in the rescue operation. The morally degenerate and dishonest response of “you can’t justify killing that many civilians to save a hostage” from the pro Palis, or as I call them now “Unrwastinians”, set off a switch in me. I know for a fact, if my dog was kidnapped, I’d burn down the world to bring him back. I can’t imagine what I’d be willing to do in order to save a loved one who was abducted by Hamas. I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to burn it all down, too. And from that incident, I paid attention to every event the media reported on with the utmost skepticism. The Hezbollah Majdal Shams attack also severely impacted me. I saw the lies and propaganda effort in real time that was done by the pro Palis to try and blame Israel. That was the first time I really started pushing back against their BS. That’s also when I realized what a machine of lies that movement really is.

4.) How would you characterize your views on Israel and so-called “Palestine” today? 

I used to be an enormously hateful person. I try to be different today. I don’t hate “Palestinians” like I used to hate the Israelis. However, I absolutely hate the cause, the “culture” and their beliefs. I don’t pretend to have a solution to a conflict, but I don’t believe in “land for peace”, can’t imagine granting them statehood, and I think it would be political suicide for any Israeli politician to advocate for that for the next 20 years at least. It’s time we started treating them like what they are: losers in a war of choice. We didn’t massage the egos of the Germans and Japanese post-WW2. I don’t understand why we do that with the Arab & Muslim world. I support whatever Israel has to do to maintain the safety and security of its people, Palestinian statehood be damned.

5.) What has been the reaction of your friends and family to your shift in thinking? Have many of them been persuaded to your way of thinking? 

My family never hated Israel. My indoctrination was a result of my desire to be accepted in a collective and listening to the propaganda my Arab and Muslim friends were breastfed since infancy. As far as my friends go, I lost and cut off contact with 90% of my social circle, mostly Arabs and Muslims, but also people with no religious or cultural ties to the region. I haven’t been able to persuade anyone yet, but I haven’t been public for very long either.

6.) Briefly explain what you mean when you say that Palestinians have a culture crafted by UNRWA. (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency)

Dr. Einat Wilf’s book, “The War of Return” is an in-depth dive into how UNRWA has been an enormous obstacle in finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict, or more specifically, a solution that doesn’t involve the violent or political destruction of the state of Israel. UNRWA has been the most resistant in resettling the “Palestinian refugees”, preferring to keep them stateless on paper (they’re the only refugees that inherit that status) despite the vast majority of them having been de facto resettled and assimilated into life abroad, because they hold onto the dream and lie that they are entitled to the “right of return” in what is now Israel. 

UNRWA also fosters a culture of complete rejection of Israel as a Jewish state, which is why the “refugees” are so important as a political weapon. This culture of rejectionism perfectly describes the so-called Palestinian cause as British Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, observed in 1947 that the Jews aspire to a state and the Arabs aspire for the Jews to not have a state. I really recommend Dr. Einat Wilf’s book; it’s an amazing read.

8.) How do you reconcile Israel’s right to exist and the right to protect her borders with the number of deaths (albeit, Hamas reported numbers) of civilians in Gaza? 

Numbers and images don’t bother me. I know what the root of the conflict and current war is. I know how Hamas and other terror groups wage war by sacrificing their own people to kill Jews. Hamas commits a double war crime by targeting Israeli civilians and then hiding behind their own people – and many of those people don’t have a problem being sacrificed for Hamas either. It’s an ugly reality.

9.) You had previously mentioned to me that your church – an orthodox Coptic church takes the view of “church replacement” theology – the idea that Israel has been replaced by the church and does not matter to God in any meaningful way. Do you agree with that theological position? 

Everybody has the right to their own religious beliefs, but I don’t agree with that. I haven’t read too much about Christian anti-Semitism, but I understand how this specific set of beliefs has caused suffering upon Jewish people throughout their difficult history. I’m also not a religious person, so admittedly, it’s not an issue I pay much attention to.

10.) Do you think that Israel still has a role to play in God’s economy of things? Did God break his covenant with Israel or does He still have unfinished business with the Jewish people?  Do you believe there be a time in the “last days” when God reaches the unbelieving Jew and brings them to Jesus?  

I believe in a higher power. I don’t believe in religion. There are definitely times where I think a higher power is protecting Israel, but I attribute most of Israel’s success to their determination, superior culture, their democracy and their ability to evolve and improve their country. 1948 and 1967 could have turned out very differently if it weren’t for the grit and determination of the IDF. 

11.) What three things would you want to tell anyone who is confused by what is happening right now in the Middle East – especially considering that an anti-Semitic, anti-Israel sentiment is growing? 

If you’re going to invest yourself in this, read literature from both sides and come to a conclusion then. Really dig deep into the history, the origins of the “Palestinians” and the documented Jewish compromise in an effort to live in peace with their Arab neighbors. Read Dr. Einat Wilf’s books, watch Oren Cahanovitc’s “Traveling Israel” channel on Youtube, and also pick up “Industry of Lies” by Ben-Dror Yemini. These three things really pulled me out of the death cult that is the Palestinian cause. Most importantly, prioritize facts over emotional narratives. 

Conclusion:

I really appreciate Michael taking the time to answer my questions – I think the clarity of how his thinking has evolved is incredibly helpful and might prove valuable as you or someone you love is wrestling with this ongoing – to be honest – spiritual – battle in the Middle East. I think Michael is brave to side with truth over community. There are a good many people who should know better who have not made that choice on a number of important cultural and global issues. Please follow Michael at his Instagram channel @KopticKaparah0548.