1
World
Balancing Act
On opposite sides of the border, the views of the peace treaty diverge.
Brenda Gazzar
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Cairo
First of a series
n the trendy Mohandiseen
district of Cairo, 28-year-old
Sharif Ramadan welcomes
the opportunity to talk politics
one evening in the nearly empty
eyeglass store he manages.
Local media had been buzz-
ing after reports that Egypt,
which recently hosted Palestinian
Authority Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh, could soon help medi-
ate a prisoner exchange in
which Cpl. Gilad Shalit — an
Israeli soldier who has been
held in Gaza since his capture
by Palestinian gunmen in June
— would be returned for hun-
dreds of Palestinian prisoners in
Israeli jails. A successful prisoner
exchange could be the begin-
ning of a renewed understanding
between the two sides, Ramadan
said — if only Israel would allow
it.
"Israel always uses force and
pressure:' Ramadan said excit-
edly, repeating a common Arab
analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. "Politically, Israeli policy
is very much a failure."
I
A Peaceful Balance
More than 25 years after Israel
signed a peace treaty with Egypt,
the Egyptian government is
trying to maintain a balance
between its "cool but correct"
relationship with Israel and the
fiery sentiment on the street fol-
lowing Israel's summer war with
Hezbollah in Lebanon, democ-
racy activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim
said in his Cairo office.
During the war, there were
demands to recall the Egyptian
ambassador from Tel Aviv and
send the Israeli ambassador
home. Some called for the revo-
cation of the Israeli-Egyptian
peace treaty — calls heard
in Egypt whenever Israeli-
20
December 28 2006
Palestinian tensions rise.
"This last war has damaged a
good deal of what peace activ-
ists on both sides have been
building:' said Ibrahim, a profes-
sor of political sociology at the
American University in Cairo.
"The Israeli establishment has
successfully and notoriously built
a virtual wall with the rest of the
Muslim world."
Some would question who has
built the wall. Over the years, the
Egyptian government has stead-
fastly refused Israeli overtures
for closer ties and often leads the
anti-Israel chorus in internation-
al forums where the Jewish state
is demonized.
Egypt has benefited from
the peace treaty to the tune of
several billion dollars a year
from a combination of sources,
including U.S. aid and revenues
from Israeli-built oil fields in the
Sinai and Suez Canal — all while
continuing to stoke anti-Israel•
propaganda and engage in bel-
ligerent actions, some supporters
of Israel contend.
"The time has come to rec-
ognize the Egypt-Israel treaty
— usually portrayed as the glory
and ornament of Arab-Israeli
diplomacy — as the failure it has
been, and to draw the appropri-
ate lessons in order not to repeat
its mistakes',' U.S. academic
Daniel Pipes wrote recently.
Egypt's Stand
Egypt continues to be one of
Israel's most hostile adversaries
in the Arab world, even offering
covert support to Palestinian
terrorism by not cracking down
on arms-smuggling networks,
argues Israeli legislator Yuval
Steinitz of the Likud Party.
Steinitz recently stepped down
as chairman of the Knesset's
Foreign Affairs and Defense
Committee.
"Egypt could quite easily finish
or reduce the smuggling phe-
nomenon, and they're not doing
it',' he said, noting that Jordan
has successfully cracked
down on arms smug-
3„
glers in recent years at gg
Israel's request.
- 5
For the past 15 years
or so, Egypt has been
beefing up its military
with the help of U.S.
aid, to the point where
it long since achieved
military superiority over p
any other country in
Africa. Yet even though
it faces no threat, Egypt
continues to engage in
regular military exer-
cises and indoctrinate
its forces toward a con-
Local vendors at an outdoor market in a Cairo suburb.
flagration with Israel,
Steinitz said. "There
can be no doubt they're
recently. "We share a lot of mutu-
soldiers and kidnapping two
more. The real challenge today
preparing for war with Israel, and al activities — economic, mili-
they don't deny it.
tary, security, tourism, you name
is to bring this level of under-
it. We exchange notes, views,
standing to both peoples through
"They say Israel is aggressive
knowledge. We listen to what the
cultural, media and academic
and crazy, and they're preparing
exchanges and activities. Cohen
themselves because of that. But
Egyptians have to say."
Egyptian assistance in trying
said the young generation must
of course that's ridiculous."
to secure Cpl. Shift's return is
believe in the need for peace
The majority of Egyptians see
at the highest levels and demon-
today to advocate for it as leaders
Israel as a monolithic entity and
strates positive cooperation on
tomorrow.
do not believe there are Israelis
But the Egyptian government
sensitive issues, Cohen said.
working for peace, says Egyptian
doesn't encourage visits to Israel,
political analyst and journalist
places bureaucratic obstacles
Ashraf Rady, who has visited
Showing Strain
in the way of those who want
Israel four times. The tendency
Bilateral relations were almost
to visit and allows the state-
frozen when the Palestinians
in Egypt to frame the conflict as
controlled media to be exceed-
launched their violent intifada
a religious one between Muslims
ingly harsh against Israel. Such
and Jews is problematic, he said.
in September 2000. Egypt with-
behavior is due to Egypt's desire
drew its ambassador to Israel
In addition, Steinitz said,
shortly after_ the fighting began,
to lead the Arab world, which
secular, liberal forces that have
requires adopting a firm position
peaceful tendencies toward Israel but when former Israeli Prime
regarding unsolved Arab-Israeli
Minister Ariel Sharon withdrew
often are targeted in the media
issues, says Elie Podeh, head
Israeli troops and settlers from
and accused of wanting normal-
of the Department of Islamic
ization with Israel. But Israel also the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian
and Middle Eastern Studies at
government understood that
is impeding peaceful relations,
Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Israel's wish for peace with the
Rady claims. If Israel wants to
The Egyptian regime suffers
Palestinians was genuine, Cohen
make progress toward peace, "it
from problems of legitimacy in
said.
should stop using force and then
the eyes of its people, and there-
During the recent war with
allow the peaceful developments
fore must heed the anti-Israel
Hezbollah, the Egyptian govern-
to happen:'
and Islamic fundamentalist voic-
ment criticized Israeli policy, but
Israel's ambassador to Egypt,
es on the street, he said. "I think
relations were "too important
Shalom Cohen, describes the
they can do more to have a warm
for both sides to let this event
relationship as much friendlier
peace, but I guess they realize it's
destroy it',' Cohen said.
and more far-reaching than do
better for them to maintain this
In an unexpected move, Egypt
many Egyptian academics and
even blamed Hezbollah for start- kind of peace and not to normal-
community leaders. "We can
ize relations with Israel;' Podeh
ing the war by launching a cross-
improve it, but it's a warm peace.
border attack, killing eight Israeli said. —
It's not a cold peace,' Cohen said