My dear daughter invited me and my wife to the theater to watch The Great Gatsby at the London Coliseum.
Theater to me has always been a very special event. In my days of youth, the audience arrived promptly, quietly -there was no queuing or security. Men wore suits with ties while women had elegant dresses. The chairs were comfortable and there was space and the ability to cross your legs. The audience did not have to do a jack-in-the-box every time someone wanted to pass.
This performance was great in spite of members of the audience wearing shorts, flip-flops and jeans.
Jamie Muscato as Jay Gatsby was very impressive and his voice thunderous. Daisy (Francesca McCann) too had a great voice, and portrayed the cold, unemotional side of humanity to perfection, while Corbin Bleu, representing humanity and rationality, got much less recognition than he deserved.
But leaving the theater, I felt the play was not about Gatsby but about what the world is experiencing today. A present of materialism, moral decay and complete vaccination towards humanity.
In spite of the belief of many that history does not repeat itself, today is a reflection of the 1920s over 100 years ago.
A week after enjoying The Great Gatsby I was invited in Hampstead, in Bishops Avenue, for a seated dinner at my friend Steve Ellison.
Ellison, at 77, looked 50. Athletic, full head of fair hair, a chiseled chin and a permanent smile. Steve was a semi-retired investor. Born in America in Tucson, but living in London with two German Shepherds, Rocky and Toshka.
It was a small group of six guests in addition to Steve and I. We all arrived around 6:30 pm and by seven pm, after cocktails, we were seated at the dining table.
Martin Clayton, a Londoner, was in his 50s sitting on Steve’s left, a banker who covered the Middle East. Gabriella Cornelli, originally from Puglia, Italy, sat on Steve’s right.
She was the owner of a major pharmaceutical company. Gabriella was young, beautifully dressed, with a warm smile and a perfect English accent.
At one head of the table was Eli Elpstein, an Israeli American, in his late 50s or early 60s, a surgeon living in New York. I was to his right and on my right, facing Steve, was Mai Kawar, in her 40s, attractive Jordanian with a sharp mind.
Mai was the founder and Chairperson of a think tank with branches in Amman, Paris, London, and DC.
On Mai’s right was Sergey Mertchev, a Russian-Ukrainian, a former diplomat and present writer and author. At the other head of the table was Henry Goh from Singapore.
Henry was in his late 60s, rod thin, white hair, an owner of hotels and manufacturing facilities across Asia.
As the first course was being served, Steve shattered the small talk around the table and said, “Now what,” in a clear strong but not high voice. His eyes went around the table looking at each guest as all of us sat silently. He repeated, “Now what,” in a more definitive voice.
I responded, “What do you mean, Steve?”
He smiled and said, “Now I got a reaction”, he continued by explaining, “Now what,” given that the world’s moral compass has gone into free fall and awry, while humanity has become desensitized to mass murder, war, killings, starvation, irrational leaders and policies that are erratic, crises prone, racism, genocide, and a level of inhumanity not seen in the 21st century……..
“What next?” he asked.
Gabriella interjected and said that as the 21st century unfolded, she had hope that the world would be more peaceful, more prosperous, more prone towards collaboration, focusing on solving homelessness, improved medication dealing with diseases and more food plus less military budgets.
Martin said not with Trump and the leaders we have today. “None are 21st-century leaders—at best, 20th century,” he added.
“Why are there no 21st-century leaders?” asked Henry. “We in Singapore are doing very well.”
I said we had a leader in the 20th century that truly was 21st—Anwar Sadat. Eli responded, “So was Rabin.” Steve added, “Let’s not forget Reagan or Clinton to be balanced.”
However, Steve added, it’s not just the leadership – the question is how is humanity continuing as if nothing is happening with the daily deaths, destruction and complete lack of serious action against planned starvation, ethnic cleansing, displaced populations, demolishing of homes, hospitals, infrastructure and crimes such as stripping men naked, tying their hands and legs and peeing on them.
The deafening silence was followed by Mai speaking in a quiet voice: “It’s people like Netanyahu and Putin that have thrown out any rules and promoted horror, barbarism, amoral activity and the total erosion of empathy.”
As Mai spoke and the servers removed our first plate and placed our main, my mind swung to The Great Gatsby play and how the actors acted in a total disregard to ethics, double treason, unwarranted violence and not only lack of empathy but a simple act of total ignorance.
It’s like pins falling in a bowling game rather than lives extinguished, born of sick minds.
Eli, whilst rolling his pasta by the fork in his right hand into a spoon in his left, said, “I am a proud American Israeli, but I see Netanyahu bringing hatred upon Israel and Trump dividing the American population.”
Mai interjected, “What about the tens of thousands killed and maimed in Gaza and thousands having their homes destroyed in the West Bank?” Eli did not raise his eyes from his plate as he swallowed a big swarm of pasta.
Sergey, with a glass of wine in his right hand, said what is happening with the Ukraine and Russia war is ludicrous and could have been avoided before it began.
He added this war is beneficial to the West as it’s destructive to Russia and Ukrainians pay the price, whilst a big chunk of money is being made daily. Many are benefiting from this war. A lot of profit in too many pockets—that is why it continues.
Not to mention, whilst my heart is with Ukraine—Zelensky is enjoying his role on the global stage and the money that comes with it.
Sergey placed his glass on the table and proceeded to tear into his fillet.
Gabriella stopped eating and said, “Do you realize the huge mental strain resulting from the wars and conflicts, not to mention the geo-economic disruptions from sanctions, tariffs, supply chain problems, and geopolitical tensions?”
Steve placed his fork and knife across his plate, waved to the server for more wine, and said, “Trump has multiple times talked about a ceasefire and nothing occurred. Now he reflects upon starvation in Gaza as Netanyahu blocks all humanitarian aid and the world watches.”
As Henry fidgeted in his seat, he said, “The lack of an Arab and Islamic front in facing Israel’s atrocities has allowed this to happen.”
Mai was nodding as Gabriella said, “I admire Ms. Meloni as she is a good Prime Minister for Italy, but I disagree with her statement recognizing a Palestinian State before its establishment may be counterproductive… a very wrong statement. Israel was recognized way before it was established.”
Eli, who was quiet, interrupted and said, “Please all remember that Israel was attacked with no provocation and is acting in self-defense in Gaza.”
Mai responded, “Unprovoked! 70 years of occupation and that is no provocation? A recent statement by Emily Damari said that when she was a hostage she was in a cage-like environment for 15 months. Does she not realize that there are Palestinians born and lived all their lives in a cage with daily checkpoints, midnight atrocity crimes — all detailed in B’Tselem human rights group’s report titled ‘Our Genocide’?”
Silence grasped the table. I said, “No one seems to mind as disasters across the world increase in their ferocity and inhumanity.” My mind went again to The Great Gatsby — profits being made during the prohibition, ethics being shuffled aside, and whatever attacks occurred all danced to the music.
Steve ushered the dessert and coffee as he said once again, “Now what?” or better still, “What next?”
I ventured, “We need to find peaceful, sustainable solutions, win-win to all these problems. All problems can be sorted if there is the will and the courage of the conviction. There could have been,” I explained, “a Zelensky meeting in Moscow with Putin before the war broke out. Abbas and Hamas could have stepped out and America and Israel proclaimed a Palestinian State instead of the catastrophic state of affairs born by Netanyahu’s policies since 2006 when he supported Hamas to rule Gaza.”
Martin interrupted, saying to Steve, “Shall we go to the terrace for cigars?” Henry stood up along with Steve, followed by all of us.
I bid Steve a thank you and good evening to all and headed to the door.
Raymond, the butler, opened the door and waved to my driver Jessie as my mind went one last time to The Great Gatsby. Gatsby was shot and killed for a crime he did not commit. But no one who knew did bat an eye — all convinced as if nothing happened. I hoped that would not happen to the world my daughter will face and that humanity will learn from its mistakes.
About the author
M. Shafik Gabr is a renowned leader in international business, innovation, investment and one of the world’s premier collectors of Orientalist art, and an accomplished philanthropist.
During his career, Gabr established over 25 companies plus three investment holding companies including ARTOC Group for Investment and Development which, established in 1971, is a multi-disciplined investment holding company with businesses in infrastructure, automotive, engineering, construction and real estate, over the past three years focusing on investment in technology and artificial intelligence.
Gabr is the Chairman and a founding member of Egypt’s International Economic Forum, a member of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum, a Board Member of Stanhope Capital, an International Chairman of the Sadat Congressional Gold Medal Committee, and a Member of the Parliamentary Intelligence Security Forum.
Gabr is a Member of the Metropolitan Museum’s International Council and serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for Financial Stability, the Advisory Board of The Middle East Institute, and the Global Advisory Council of the Mayo Clinic.
Through the Shafik Gabr Social Development Foundation, Gabr is helping to improve elementary-school education in Egypt, introducing students to arts and culture and promoting sports and physical fitness for youth. The Foundation has its first Medical and Social Development Center in Mokattam, Cairo, offering free medical and health services.
In 2012 Gabr established in the US the Shafik Gabr Foundation which supports educational and medical initiatives plus launched in November 2012 the ‘East-West: The Art of Dialogue initiative promoting exchanges between the US and Egypt with the purpose of cultural dialogue and bridge-building.
Gabr holds a BA in Economics and Management from the American University in Cairo and an MA in Economics from the University of London.
