As it so happens, it seems that some habits die hard, and following the Sinai terrorist attack earlier this week, Egypt believes that Hamas was in on the attack.
As a result:
- Egypt has forced Hamas to close Gaza tunnels that lead into Egypt. Since Gaza tunnels are used not only for smuggling weapons but also goods and fuel, such a closure is a threat to the economy.
- Egypt then started destroying the Gaza tunnels. The Egyptian military is supervising the destruction of the tunnels using state owned heavy machinery.
- Egypt has demanded that Hamas hand over 3 of its senior members. The three senior members belong to Hamas’s armed wing Izz A-Din Al-Qassam Brigades and are suspected of being involved in the terrorist attack near the Kerem Shalom border crossing--one of them, Raed Attar, is the commander of the Qassam brigades in Gaza and was involved in the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit in June 2006.
- Egypt and Israel pass warnings of possible attacks to each other
- Senior officers in Egypt and Israel speak to each other in the field
- There is continuous discussion among the military and intelligence groups in Egypt and Israel
Who knows what the future may bring.
But we do have a clue--in the vicious antisemitism that is rampant througout Egypt. As Jeffrey Goldberg notes, In Egypt, Anti-Semitism Is Back in Fashion:
Anti-Semitism, the socialism of fools, is becoming the opiate of the Egyptian masses. And not just the masses. Egypt has never been notably philo-Semitic (just ask Moses), but today it’s entirely acceptable among the educated and creative classes there to demonize Jews and voice the most despicable anti- Semitic conspiracy theories. Careerists know that even fleeting associations with Jews and Israelis could spell professional trouble.Read the whole thing.
So while Egypt under the Muslim Brotherhood may appear to be getting along, the Brotherhood is merely consolidating its power, which at this point in time means they can use Israel's help. At this point, part of that consolidation means showing Hamas who is in charge. None of this changes the hatred for Israel that exists in Egypt or the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood wants to "revise" the treaty with Israel.
Hat tip: EG and JED
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2 comments:
It seems to me that the honeymoon is between Israel and the Egyptian military, not the Muslim Brotherhood led Egyptian government.
You may be right. But for right now, the Muslim Brotherhood, as the party in power, may need Israel in order fight the terrorists and win back the respect of the Egyptian public.
The question is whether they need it enough to tone down its anti-Israel rhetoric.
In the long term, Israel has a better ally in the Egyptian military. See The Egyptian Mess.
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