Unless it was some third party testing it out for no other reason than a large crowd presented itself. Or a third party who just wants to fan the flames. Maybe both. I probably read too many spy novels.

Where are the Jewish communities that existed for millennia in these countries? Ask the coptics how they feel, ask the Kurds. I’m not trying to defend Israel by any means, but it’s disingenuous af to claim the region was some bastion of tolerance and understanding.