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Egypt Uneasy in Dealings with Israel

(Jerusalem Post) Zvi Mazel - Egyptian Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi approved last week the appointment of a new ambassador to Israel, while the lower house of the newly elected parliament adopted a declaration stating that Israel was the No. 1 enemy of Egypt. At the same time, it is due to Egypt's strenuous efforts that the present round of hostilities between Israel and Gaza was brought to an end. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces did not want a major problem on its borders at a time when it is trying to deal with a volatile internal situation. Equally important, Cairo's handling of the crisis was a means to show the Arab world that Egypt was still the major player on the Palestinian front. As usual the Egyptian media lashed at Israel for its alleged atrocities against civilians in Gaza, and even recycled pictures taken during the Cast Lead Operation in January 2009 - but did not mention the hundreds of missiles fired at Israeli towns and villages for days on end. The explosions on the pipeline - 13 so far - bringing Egyptian gas to Jordan and Israel have already cost Egypt more than a billion dollars in lost revenues. The writer, a Fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, is a former ambassador to Romania, Egypt and Sweden.
2012-03-14 00:00:00
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