Daily Alert Archives

Israel Loves Egypt

(Washington Times) Abraham Rabinovich - Israelis' love of Egypt has always been a one-way affair, but in the post-Mubarak era, it will be more difficult to sustain the illusion that one day Egypt might smile back. After engaging in a fierce war along the Suez Canal in 1973, Israelis wasted little time when a peace treaty was signed before chucking their uniforms and invading the Nile Valley as tourists. The Israelis fell in love with the unspoiled beaches of the Sinai Peninsula and with the Egyptians themselves, whom they found to be a pleasant people with a wonderful sense of humor. On a national level, though, Egyptians didn't like Israel. President Hosni Mubarak was frequently consulted by Israeli leaders, but they traveled to Cairo. He never came to Israel except for the funeral of Yitzhak Rabin. Israelis do not expect the new regime to sever the peace treaty in the near future. But in the absence of Mubarak, relations are expected to grow steadily colder, with war somewhere down the line a scenario that cannot be dismissed.
2011-02-15 00:00:00
Full Article