ELKAN’S VIEW 21st January 2015
Is this how the media would have reported this week’s Sedrah?
ISRAELITES CHARGED WITH WAR CRIMES – EGYPTIAN CIVILIANS SUFFER AS ISRAELITES DANCE AT THE RED SEA
The Royal Press Officer for Pharaoh has accused the Israelites of serious war crimes. “Their leader Moses attacked and murdered one of our senior civil servants who was encouraging increased productivity among his workforce. Moses and his brother Aaron have brought terrible plagues, poisoning water, afflicting cattle and finally murdering many thousands of blameless firstborns. The plagues that they brought spared no one. Millions of innocent civilians suffered unbelievable hardship and privation. As they left our hospitable country the Israelites stole valuable Egyptian property and caused many of our bravest soldiers to drown in the Red Sea.
“The Children of Israel have shown themselves to be murderers and thieves. By their deeds of malice and violence they have betrayed the trust and honour showed to them by the whole Egyptian people. We demand justice!”
The following statement was issued on behalf of Moses and the Children of Israel but has not appeared in the press.
“The Egyptians enslaved tortured and brutalised the Israelite people. They ordered that firstborn be cast into the river to die, and taught their children to hate and disparage us. Our people first came to Egypt because our ancestor Joseph saved the whole nation from famine and starvation. It is true that the Almighty brought plagues upon Egypt, but Pharaoh could have stopped these at any time had he wished. As we were finally leaving Egypt, Egyptian well-wishers handed us gold and silver. Pharaoh wanted to bring us back into slavery and sent heavy armour and artillery against our defenceless civilians. He was only defeated by divine intervention at the last minute.”