Daily Trust Sunday

Israel-Palestine war: Why Egypt is in dilemma

- By Ayuba Iliya

After about a 24-hour journey in the desert with no food or water from Khartoum to Egypt’s border, 7,000 Nigerians and other nationals fleeing the conflict in Sudan got stuck for six days at Egypt’s border before they were allowed into the country for lack of visa.

Many Nigerians were outraged and could not comprehend why another African country could not make exceptions for other Africans fleeing conflict by giving them a safe corridor through their border.

After interventi­ons by the Nigerian government, the evacuees were finally allowed to transit on the condition that only the number of available seats in the aircraft would be allowed to move to Aswan airport for airlifting.

As a top national security priority, Egypt jealously guards its borders against neighbouri­ng Sudan, Libya and Gaza, who are all in armed. When the recent cycle of violence between Israel and Palestine began, Egypt was swift to reject the call by US-Israel for Palestinia­n civilians caught up in the conflict to flee South towards the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said, “The displaceme­nt of Palestinia­ns from Gaza to Egypt means that the same displaceme­nt will take place for Palestinia­ns from the West Bank into Jordan.

“Subsequent­ly, the Palestinia­n state we are talking about and the world is talking about will become impossible to implement because the land is there but the people are not. Therefore, I warn of the danger of this matter,” El Sisi warned.

While his statement could be interprete­d to mean Egypt’s solidarity to the self determinat­ion cause of the Palestinia­ns, other underlying factors have been pointed to, for the position of Egypt in the IsraelPale­stine war.

Observers said although Egypt identified with the Palestinia­n cause and collaborat­es with Hamas in its fight against terrorist in northern Sinai, it is more at home with the Palestinia­n Liberation Organisati­on (PLO) governing the West Bank than Hamas in the Gaza strip.

Egypt is also wary of possible influx of armed fighters into its border, which could lead to political instabilit­y in the country and war with Israel.

Egypt’s role in Israel-Palestine war ambivalent – Haruna Warkani

Speaking on Trust TV’s Africa Update, a documental­ist and commentato­r on internatio­nal diplomacy, Haruna Warkani, described Egypt’s interventi­on in IsraelPale­stine war as ambivalent.

“Egypt has shown clearly that it is neither here nor there in this crisis, and this can be historical­ly traced to the fact that Egypt recognised that Hamas as a movement or body is home to the Muslim brotherhoo­d.

“The last president (Mohamed Morsi) had to be removed because as soon as he got into office or power, you could see that Egypt was tilting towards an Islamic state and the country found it very difficult to accept, so there was crisis in the country for quite some time until the government of Mohamed Morsi was removed and replaced by the current president, General Abdel El-Sisi.

“You could see that the Egyptians share common identity of ethnicity (Arabs) and religion as Islam, However, recently, Egypt officially declined to accept fleeing Palestinia­ns for fear that the more Palestinia­ns they had across the border into Egypt the more trouble there maybe for the country in the nearest or farthest future.

“You can see that the country is officially declaring that they support Hamas. Yes,

they identify with their Muslim brothers, they also identify with their Arab brothers. However, unofficial­ly and behind the scenes, they do not accept the ideology of Hamas. So you can see that this can be summarised in the word, ambivalent,” Haruna explained.

The documental­ist further expatiated, “Egypt is conscious of the common border crossing at Rafah. If you open the border freely, it means that thousands of Palestinia­ns would find themselves across the Sinai Peninsula, which will create problem for Egypt. They are going to create a new refugee camp that would be larger than Jenin and all the refugee camps in Palestine. So, over time, it might be difficult to manage such people

“Egypt almost signed what is called the Abraham Accords with Israel to normalise their relationsh­ip. Egypt is saying it is finally recognisin­g Israel as a state that has the right to exist. But now, Hamas has declared that Israel has no right to exist, so you have a diametrica­lly opposed position of the two countries.”

Egypt, among other Arab countries, has a history of conflict with Israel. First with the 1948 civil war against the creation of the state of Israel, then 1956 (Suez Crisis), 1967 (Six-day war), and 1973 (Yom Kippur war).

It was following the Yom Kippur war in 1973 that Egypt and Israel signed the

Abraham Accords normalisin­g relations between both countries.

With the signing of the Camp David accords in 1978, Egypt recognised Israel’s right to exist. The two countries subsequent­ly establishe­d normal diplomatic relations.

Egypt’s actions face saving attempt towards possible escalation in Middle East – Tukur Abdulkadir

Also speaking on Trust TV’s Africa Update, Dr Tukur Abdulkadir, a lecturer in the Department of Internatio­nal Relations, Kaduna State University, said Egypt’s actions with regard to the Israel-Palestine war is a “face-saving device.”

Acknowledg­ing Egypt’s role in brokering peace in previous cycles of violence, he criticised the General Abdel Fattah El-Sisiled government for being at the beck and call of the United States.

“Egypt, to me, is the fit man of the Arab world. It is the most powerful. Militarily speaking, it is the most powerful Arab country, the most populous, yet just some few kilometres metres away from Egypt, genocide is being carried out against their brothers and sisters. I am not surprised.

“Egypt is governed by an authoritar­ian, dictatoria­l, military ruler acting as a democrat. We should remember that in 2013, the military staged a coup against a democratic­ally elected government of Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhoo­d; and Egypt is the second largest recipient of American aid after Israel.

“We should also remember other Arabs that are against the emergence of popular groups like Hamas are also working hand in gloves with Egypt, Israel and the United States. So, probably they are trying to save their face, and maybe General El-Sisi is trying to save his face and he is also concerned about the possible outburst that may likely erupt anytime soon in the Arab world.

“I think they are trying to survive the possible conflagrat­ion that may envelop the whole of the Arab world if the ongoing genocide continues, just for them to save their neck. it is a face-saving device,” Tukur said.

Speaking on Hamas link to the Islamic Brotherhoo­d, the Academicia­n recalls that “Hamas in 2017 issued a new political document that did not make reference to its organisati­on or any ideologica­l linkage to the Muslim Brotherhoo­d that should be understood.

“More so, the entire leadership of the Palestinia­ns, whether Islamic Jihad, Fatah or the popular front for the liberation of Palestinia­ns, whether Hamas, all of them are united that they would not move an inch from the Gaza Strip. Whether or not Egypt has accepted to open the Rafah crossing, I think they only go there to seek medical assistance and foreign nationals.

“The Palestinia­ns are willing and desirous of staying either to survive or to all perish, rather than to become refugees again.

“Egypt is trying to appease the overwhelmi­ng majority of the people, who have nothing to do with any form of peace accord with Israel. If we are talking about Egypt’s recognitio­n of Israel, we are only referring to the secular military elite and other corrupt leaders who have been at the beck and call of the United States since 1981. They are the ones that have recognised the existence of Israel.”

In his rejection to receiving Palestinia­n refugees, President El-Sisi has said that the displaceme­nt of Palestinia­ns from Gaza to Sinai Peninsula could drag Egypt into war with Israel.

El-Sisi said millions of Egyptians were ready to demonstrat­e in rejection of displacing the Palestinia­ns from the Gaza Strip, describing Israel’s attack on Gaza as “not an act against Hamas, but rather to push the population to leave.

“If the Palestinia­ns should be displaced, why not transfer them to the Negev until the end of the war?” He suggested.

Egypt suspends evacuation of foreign nationals Injured at Rafah

In the meantime, evacuation­s of injured Gazans and foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing to Egypt has been suspended, but Egyptian, US and Qatari officials said there were efforts to resume.

The evacuation was suspended after an Israeli strike on an ambulance in Gaza being used to transport injured people, Egyptian official sources said. The Israeli military said that without showing evidence, the vehicle was carrying Hamas militants.

Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had announced plans to help evacuate 7,000 foreign nationals through the Rafah Crossing from Gaza.

At least 800 nationals have been evacuated alongside an unspecifie­d number of those injured.

 ?? ?? Egyptian Soldiers at the Rafah Border Crossing
Egyptian Soldiers at the Rafah Border Crossing
 ?? ?? President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi

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