From Hate to Hope: Egyptian Activist Champions Arab-Israeli Cooperation

Hussein Aboubakr Mansour, once steeped in the anti-Semitic sentiments common in Egyptian society, has undergone a profound transformation. Today, he is a prominent lobbyist in Washington, D.C., advocating for Arab-Israeli cooperation and fighting against Islamic extremism. As a senior research fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs (JCFA), Mansour is dedicated to promoting a vision for a new Middle East—one where Israel is embraced by its Arab neighbors.

Mansour’s journey is remarkable. Born in 1989 to a devout Muslim family in Cairo, he was raised in an environment where distrust of Jews and hostility towards Israel were the norm. Despite the 1979 Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt, Egyptian society remains deeply entrenched in anti-Zionist sentiment, something Mansour acknowledges from his own upbringing.

He recalls being influenced by stories of anti-Zionist "heroes" and even admits to once aspiring to be a "wannabe jihadist." “My generation is probably the most indoctrinated generation in the modern history of the region,” Mansour reflects.

However, a turning point came when Mansour decided to "know his enemy" and began learning Hebrew at Cairo University. His research into Israel revealed a reality far different from the narrative he had been taught. He soon discovered “the complete humanity of the Jews and the ridiculousness of what people [in Egypt] think about them.”

Mansour’s newfound perspective led him to frequent the Israeli Academic Center in Cairo, and he became involved in the Arab Spring protests of 2011. These activities brought him into conflict with Egyptian authorities, but they also solidified his commitment to fostering understanding between Arabs and Israelis.

Now based in Washington, Mansour is focused on countering the extremist ideologies that have fueled conflicts in the Middle East. He believes that the recent Hamas invasion on October 7 was, in part, an attempt to disrupt the normalization efforts between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Yet, Mansour is optimistic that these efforts will ultimately succeed.

He envisions a “new regional political reality in which Israel is accepted by the dominant Arab powers,” and he believes that continued normalization will help the next generation of Arabs become “culturally immune to Iran’s primary weapon: ideology.”

Mansour sees the solution in the hands of policymakers and statesmen, advocating for a strategy that brings Arabs and Israelis together to counter shared threats like Iran and radical Islamism. His work represents a beacon of hope for a Middle East where cooperation and understanding replace long-standing enmity.

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