British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah is facing a wave of criticism in the UK over comments he made years ago regarding Zionism. The controversy erupted shortly after his return from Egypt, where he spent several years imprisoned.
Abd El-Fattah, who obtained British citizenship in 2021 through his mother, arrived in the UK on Friday. Following his arrival, British media outlets highlighted past social media posts, dating from 2008 to 2014, where he used strong language against “Zionists” and criticized the police. UK counter-terrorism police are reportedly assessing these posts following public complaints.
In a statement, Abd El-Fattah acknowledged that some of his tweets had been misinterpreted, but conceded that others were unacceptable. “Looking back at those tweets now, even those that haven’t been completely twisted beyond recognition, I truly understand how shocking and hurtful they were, and for that I unreservedly apologize,” he stated.
He further explained, “They were, for the most part, the expression of a young man’s anger and frustration at a time of crisis in the region…”
The backlash has been intense. Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, has called for Abd El-Fattah’s deportation. Kemi Badenoch, a prominent Conservative politician, suggested the UK should explore that possibility. The Board of Deputies of British Jews stated that Abd El-Fattah’s posts raise “grave concerns” and suggest inadequate vetting by British authorities.
Alaa Abd El-Fattah is a prominent figure from the 2011 Egyptian revolution. He has been a vocal critic of successive Egyptian presidents since the early 2000s, when he began his online activism. He was last arrested in 2019 after sharing a Facebook post about “police violence” and was sentenced in 2021 to five years in prison for “spreading false news.” Two months prior to his release by presidential pardon, a Cairo criminal court removed his name from a list of suspected terrorists.
