Egyptian actors fooled into thinking they were on an Israeli television show flew into violent rages and assaulted presenters on a candid camera-type program aired in Egypt in recent days.
The program was broadcast on Egypt’s Al-Nahar channel, and was made available by the Washington-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
One of the actors, Ayman Kandeel “Tuhami,” became irate after being led to believe he was speaking to Israelis, and struck a female presenter across the face, sending her flying to the ground.
Kandeel hurled chairs at staff.
“She is Egyptian?” he asked, gesturing to the female presenter he struck, after being told the show was a prank. He then hugged the woman, as the rest of the staff applauded. “You brought it upon yourself,” he told her.
"People, let’s have a round of applause for Ayman,” a male presenter said.
Actress Mayer El Beblawi did not turn violent on the show, but did launch into an anti-Semitic diatribe before being told she was on an “Israeli show.”
“In that country [Israel] they are all liars,” she said. “They keep whining all the time about the Holocaust, or whatever it’s called.
“These people sawed off [the head] of John the Baptist. They are the slayers of the prophets. What else can we say about them?” she continued. “Allah did not curse the worm and moth as much as he cursed the Jews.”
She looked horrified and refused to continue the interview after being told she was on a program on “the Israeli Channel 2.”
Actor Mahmoud Abdel Ghaffar flew into a violent frenzy after being placed in the same situation, shouting “What country are you from?” while slapping a male presenter. He grabbed the man’s head and shook it violently, before kneeing him in the head.
“Mahmoud, this is a candid camera show,” staff told him, applauding his reaction. “We are all Egyptians. Long live Egypt!” one of the staff members said.
Abdel Ghaffar hugged the man he had beaten, saying, “You brought me someone who looks like a Jew... I hate the Jews to death.”