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Photo: AP
'As far as Israel is concerned, nothing happened in Egypt'
Photo: AP
Photo: Michael Kramer
Alon Pinkas
Photo: Michael Kramer

Israel in denial

Op-ed: New reality in Egypt supposedly justifies political idleness; in fact, opposite must be done

Israel is denying. Israel is in denial that Mubarak was a reliable ally, that Morsi was "okay," that Morsi's ouster is an advantage or a disadvantage. Everything happening in Egypt is an internal Egyptian matter which does not concern Israel, and in fact contributes to the weakening of the Arab world.

 

Israel will get along better with the Egyptian army, with its pro-American inclination, as most of the Egyptian army's senior officers studied in the US Army's military academies. With General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi we share a common language which we didn’t share with Morsi.

 

It's all true, it's all not true. It's true that Egypt is weak. It's true that there is no longer an "Arab world." It's true that Israel is not the target. It's not true that it doesn't affect us. It's not true that it changes Israel's fundamental problem with the Palestinians. That's the essence of the denial. The Israeli prime minister sits in Jerusalem, sees the Middle East falling apart in front of his eyes, and thinks to himself out loud: I told you this is a lousy neighborhood.

 

Egypt is a lost country, 90 million people without an economic future and without a real ability to outline a future. Syria is torn by sectoral-factional violence and has no economic-political horizon. Jordan is swinging, Iraq is split, Lebanon is tied to Syria, the Palestinians are weak, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states are busy with Iran.

 

The events in Egypt and Syria allegedly strengthen the premise that the Middle East is in an explosive jolt and structural instability. Now is the time for restraint and conservatism. Israel is "monitoring the situation alertly and anxiously." Israel is an island of stability in an Arab sea rustling sizzling with anarchy. It's all true.

 

A completely ancient world is being destroyed. Egypt is not the center of the Arab world, the Arab League no longer exists in actual fact. Moreover, the three strong and dominant regional powers are not Arab: Iran, Turkey and Israel.

 

In fact, as far as Israel is concerned, nothing happened in Egypt. There is no immediate or essential effect on Israel, on its status and on its policy in the region. But we are witnessing deep denial here. Supposedly, what is happening in Egypt justifies inactivity and political idleness. In practice, the opposite must be done.

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 07.04.13, 19:58
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