otherwise it will not make sense for Israel with all the economic crisis now Egyptians should be happy to sell anything to anybody these days, they have never had much in exports

to the powers that be to control the spread of radical Islamic wars on the west. Less $$ for oil, more $$ for 'talks', or, war.

This was an Egyptian minister speaking in Arabic to Egyptian parliamentarians (not in English to reporters) about trade with Israel, and speaking not in terms of hysterical propaganda or extremist boycotts but simply in terms of business - and the need to abide by contracts once they have been negotiated and signed. There is so much hysterical propaganda and crazy extremism in the Arab world right now that the Egyptian government's handling of this contract (and some other topics recently) stands out simply because it appears to be rational and sane. It is very healthy that the Egyptian government is not interested in abrogating contracts and treaties. I think that is the subtext of the discussion of the Egypt-Israel peace treaty; the point is not that the Egyptians are required to sell gas under that treaty, but rather that the Egyptians are concerned that if they abrogate one agreement with Israel, Israel might worry that they would abrogate the far more important one.

What will the Egyptians do then? Raise the price and sell to whom? I would think that the Egyptians are in an untennable situation for the long term. Israel, you better hurry up and get those pipes in place to produce your own gas.