RELATED:Analysis: Schalit on Egypt TV: exploitative, abusive, cruel Azzam Azzam: 'The trauma hasn’t left me'Hearingon Schalit deal petition ends; no decision issued According to Amin, who became known internationally when she publicly quit her job as a state TV news anchor in protest during last February’s uprising in Egypt, said that she had tried obtaining information from a Red Cross official about Schalit’s health before interviewing him but was told merely that the soldier was “in good spirits.”“I feel very sorry for him, like a mother to a child,” she said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. “I saw him and I saw the Palestinians and I feel deep compassion for all of them. It’s enough of conflict and I think that it’s time we all strived to live in peace.“I did apologize to him for keeping him waiting and I told him that the world wanted to know how he was feeling,” said Amin. “I did ask him what he thought of Egypt’s efforts and if he had a message for the Egyptian people,” said Amin, who maintained that the questions were not forced upon her.“I felt that after so many attempts by others to mediate this exchange, it was important to highlight Egypt’s role in bringing this about.”Amin said she found him “thin and pale and very overwhelmed.”“His voice was faint and he could not concentrate at all,” she told the Post.“[Schalit] told me that he already knew that he was set to be released because the conditions of his captivity had changed over the last month,” said Amin.She added that she had not been certain that an interview with the soldier would happen right up until “I saw him in front of me.”“No one else knew what questions I was going to ask him, they were completely my own questions, that I wrote alone,” said Amin, explaining that over the past few months – since the regime change in Egypt – she has returned as a freelancer to the state-run Nile TV station, hosting a weekly show, and in addition works as a reporter for the international news channel CNN.Amin offered Schalit the choice of being interviewed in English or in his native Hebrew.She said he started off speaking in English but after it became clear that he was struggling to speak, the translator was brought in, allowing him to respond in Hebrew.
Egyptian TV journalist defends interview with Schalit
Shahira Amin slammed by Israeli media for holding up kidnapped soldier’s return home and presenting him with inappropriate questions.
RELATED:Analysis: Schalit on Egypt TV: exploitative, abusive, cruel Azzam Azzam: 'The trauma hasn’t left me'Hearingon Schalit deal petition ends; no decision issued According to Amin, who became known internationally when she publicly quit her job as a state TV news anchor in protest during last February’s uprising in Egypt, said that she had tried obtaining information from a Red Cross official about Schalit’s health before interviewing him but was told merely that the soldier was “in good spirits.”“I feel very sorry for him, like a mother to a child,” she said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. “I saw him and I saw the Palestinians and I feel deep compassion for all of them. It’s enough of conflict and I think that it’s time we all strived to live in peace.“I did apologize to him for keeping him waiting and I told him that the world wanted to know how he was feeling,” said Amin. “I did ask him what he thought of Egypt’s efforts and if he had a message for the Egyptian people,” said Amin, who maintained that the questions were not forced upon her.“I felt that after so many attempts by others to mediate this exchange, it was important to highlight Egypt’s role in bringing this about.”Amin said she found him “thin and pale and very overwhelmed.”“His voice was faint and he could not concentrate at all,” she told the Post.“[Schalit] told me that he already knew that he was set to be released because the conditions of his captivity had changed over the last month,” said Amin.She added that she had not been certain that an interview with the soldier would happen right up until “I saw him in front of me.”“No one else knew what questions I was going to ask him, they were completely my own questions, that I wrote alone,” said Amin, explaining that over the past few months – since the regime change in Egypt – she has returned as a freelancer to the state-run Nile TV station, hosting a weekly show, and in addition works as a reporter for the international news channel CNN.Amin offered Schalit the choice of being interviewed in English or in his native Hebrew.She said he started off speaking in English but after it became clear that he was struggling to speak, the translator was brought in, allowing him to respond in Hebrew.