Written by Alon Ben-Meir and Amr Yossef
Over the past few weeks, Egypt and Israel have reached the lowest point in their relations in thirty years of peace. The attack in Eilat and Israel's killing of eight Egyptian policemen on the Sinai border led to a diplomatic blame game that was only exacerbated by the Egyptian mob attack on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo in early September. Top diplomats managed to prevent a disaster at the embassy, but the Israeli and Egyptian concerns over the episodes remains high.
The key question now is what could both countries do to normalize, if not further improve their bilateral relations? Conventional wisdom suggests that Israel should reach a final-status agreement with the Palestinian Authority to establish an independent Palestinians state. This would presumably dry up the source of anti-Israel sentiment in Egypt. However, due to the inherent intractability of the core issues of the conflict it is unlikely that the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations will resume any time soon or that an agreement will be reached in the short term. As neither Israel nor Egypt is interested in further deterioration in their bilateral relations, a new policy that can be implemented fully and efficiently is urgently required.
The peace treaty between Egypt and Israel remains a cornerstone for regional stability and it is in both countries best interests to ensure its sustainability. On several grounds, peace with Israel is critical for Egypt. Primarily, the peace serves Egypt's interest because it restored the Sinai, leaving Egypt with absolutely no territorial claims against Israel. A new conflict with Israel could change the status quo, which will most likely be to Egypt's disadvantage. Moreover, the preservation of the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty will prevent another deliberate or accidental armed confrontation that would heavily tax the Egyptian economy. Egypt would have to allocate billions of dollars out of its limited budget for more arms and training, and it would likely lose U.S. financial and military assistance. This would cause grave economic difficulties at a time when the country needs increasingly more financial assistance for development from the international community.
Finally as long as Israeli-Hamas relations remain hostile, Egypt should avoid getting involved in a new conflict between two enemies. Maintaining peace with Israel will allow Egypt to play a more constructive role, both in times of conflict and certainly when reconciliation between Israel and Hamas becomes a viable option. In fact it is in Egypt's national security interests to work quietly and consistently behind the scenes to persuade Hamas to accept Israel, not only to ensure the long-term prospect of a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace, but to help restore Egypt's regional leadership role. The key intermediary role Egypt played between Israel and Hamas to reach the recent prisoner exchange deal between the two is a case in point.
While Egypt should remain committed to its treaty obligations, it must take symbolic and practical steps to ensure that its bilateral peace treaty with Israel fosters greater regional security by taking specific measures to insure: 1) the security of the Israeli diplomatic mission; 2) the security of the borders with Israel and protection of the gas pipeline; and 3) the prevention of weapon smuggling into Gaza, which contributes to instability in the Sinai. The recent news about the Egyptian government launching a campaign to crack down on smuggling in Sinai, including establishing a 5-kilometere buffer zone along the border with Gaza, is a step in the right direction.
The Egyptian government should encourage a dialogue with its citizens through a variety of channels, including think tanks, public and private institutions, and the media to explain why maintaining peace with Israel serves Egypt's own interests. The statement by Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr on September 26th to the Associated Press that "Egypt will always respect its landmark peace treaty with Israel" bodes well, but Egyptian media and public-opinion makers should take action to convey this message to their audiences. Conspiratorial allegations that blame Israel for domestic shortcomings ranging from cancer-causing agricultural products, to Muslim-Coptic sectarian violence, to the resurrection of the counter-revolution forces not only mislead the public, but also harm Egypt's interests and makes it nearly impossible to defend the peace treaty.
The peace treaty with Egypt is as critical for Israel as it is for Egypt. It is widely held that without Egypt there will never be a major Arab-Israeli war, and without Syria there will never be a comprehensive Arab-Israeli Peace. By maintaining peace with Egypt, Israel will continue to save billions on military expenditure that could otherwise be allocated to economic development, especially as the gulf between the very rich and the very poor is widening.
At the regional level, peace with its neighbor to the west allows Israel to focus on other conflicts that have a better prospect of being resolved as long as the peace treaty with Egypt holds. By contrast, destabilized relations with Egypt could lead to a radicalized Arab world that would undermine Israel's strategic interests on two fronts: First, it would alienate the most significant Arab state -- Egypt -- along with the Gulf states from the coalition dedicated to preventing a nuclear Iran, and secondly, it would reduce the United States' influence in the Middle East, which would affect Israel adversely and increase the tension between Israel and the European Union.
Israel should seek to improve relations with Egypt and engage the Egyptian transitional government instead of acting on Netanyahu's futile "wait-and-see" attitude. Some of the immediate steps to heal the relations should include fully restoring the Israeli diplomatic mission in Cairo as long as security is assured, and openly supporting the general Arab outcry for freedom while being positive in its public narrative about the Egyptian transition. Israel's recent official apology over the accidental killing of Egyptian policemen on the border would certainly help rectify the dispute that outraged the Egyptian public. Any Israeli government, especially the current one, should resist creating more enemies in an already hostile neighborhood. This requires Israel to refrain from reacting to occasional politically incorrect statements made by Arab leaders that are often made for public consumption, for example the one made by Egypt's Prime Minister Essam Sharaf in mid-September that the peace treaty "is not a sacred thing and is always open to discussion." Israel reacted by summoning the Egyptian ambassador in Tel Aviv for clarification, though the statement, neutral as it is, was clearly rhetorical. In the same vein, while the Muslim Brotherhood may well become a significant player in Egypt, Israel should not automatically designate the party as a natural enemy. In the words of former chief of the Mossad Meir Dagan, "they [Muslim Brotherhood] themselves fear that this [takeover] would irreparably harm the Egyptian economy."
Finally, it would be strategically rewarding for Israel to use its influence in Washington and other major European capitals to support, and even openly, advocate for continued economic assistance to Egypt by the international community to ensure economic development, which is the key to nurturing democratic reforms. More quietly, Israel should work through the bilateral channels to further ease the blockade of Gaza while ensuring that no weapons are smuggled into the Strip. For that purpose, Israel may consider amending the peace treaty to allow larger Egyptian military units to operate in the Sinai. This would not only enhance Egyptian-Israeli mutual security, but also address Egyptian sensitivity towards the issue.
Egyptian and Israeli leadership must recognize the mutual advantages and current limitations of their peace treaty. The steps outlined above would further strengthen the foundation of the treaty, and prevent a situation in which any incident from severely undermining the treaty and risk a significant shift in the region's political and military dynamic, which would be to both countries profound disadvantage.
Alon Ben-Meir is a Professor of International Relations at the Center for Global Affairs, New York University, Amr Yossef is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Taub Center for Israel Studies, New York University.
Follow Alon Ben-Meir on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AlonBenMeir
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So, will the settling of the conflict with the Pals will change Arabs' anti-Jewish/Israel attitude, I wish it is true but very much doubtful.... Second, neither the PA or Hamas are willing to settle for 1967 lines, their charters in Arabic are unchanged and still call for the replacement of Israel with a Muslim state….
That's simply not the true story. It was Obama who, on behalf of the israeIis, called the Egyptian government to stop the protests.
Duh!!
When Israel treats Palestinians in the manner it does, do you think Egyptians are going to think, not my concern? Does the continual building in the West Bank further peace, or more distrust, hate, fear and anger in the region? As you do unto my brother, you do unto me. In our interconnected world of today, brother has become a far broader than it use to be.
Palestinians are not making any matter easier on themselves. You are conveniently forgetting the years of suicide bombing that took place that has let them to be isolated. Any sane country would do the same... except maybe one run by you who would let rampant violence occur.
I am not forgetting anything, but you excuse Israeli behavior under the rubric "we don't need to work with them, they hate us". Well, that may justify poor behavior in your mind, but I doubt you will find to many of the hundreds of millions of Arabs in the region that sympathize with it. Then again, if you don't care what your neighbors think, do whatever you like and deal with the consequences. When you do, it will be you who begins wishing he lived on a different planet. Currently your understanding of this one and the people on it is pretty limited.
Despite criticisms below, Alon is right that stabilizing the relationship between Egypt and Israel should not wait for completion of a deal between Israel and the Palestinians. This does not mean that such a deal should not be pursued. It also does not mean that the Palestinian situation does not make the possibility of a deal with Egypt worse. But it is true that it would be a mistake to let the situation deteriorate waiting on a deal that is not likely to happen anytime soon.
Alon's proposals are admittedly small issues for Israel compared with the issues with the Palestinians. But they seem to be sensible ones, even though not solving most of the problems in the region. Not every proposal can solve every problem. The real question is whether they make things better or worse.
End the occupation
How boring and lame.
Have you ever listened to someone invent reasons for not going to the dentist, for removal of an infected tooth? When the simple act of facing up to fear would suffice.
The way the Palestinians are being illtreated by the israelis is a burning issue with the Egyptian people, a issue which was suppressed by Mubarak.
Now the israelis still think it is the same... the Egyptian people dont care about Palestine . Israel needs to quit dreaming, the Egyptians care a whole lot.
Meir says Israel should not make more enemies...!!!!! there are no more people to make enemies with.... Israel has turned everyone against it with their greed and arrogance
A more interesting question would be whether a pro-Palestinian writer who did not write on any other topic would be allowed to publish. There I am not sure. It is generally the fact that someone like Buchanan has strong conservative credentials that lets him be published on his views that are not in line with most conservatives.
Carter get's the Nobel Prize by paying for a treaty.
And how else do you propose the puppet leadership of 3gypt was to be made to shut it's eyes to the belligerence of |$rae|.?
Sadat btw. was known as an anti-semite. But that's not the first one to be of great service to the Z|0n|$t entity, John Hagee also comes to mind
No, that's your two old friends, the military and the $@l@fist ($@udi sponsored) who want that. The people want nothing of it.
We have paid $200 billion over the last 30 years to these parasitic parties in this ludicrous stand off in which we, the U.S., are the loosers. Have direct talks and mutually benefical solution and keep us out of it.
Only when Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Jordan combine to form single common market, constitutional monarchy will job creation and minority rights have a chance on a truly massive scale. Even in transition this model could also entice Syria et al to join.
As for Palestine I give three radical solutions. Have Gaza vote to join not Palestine , nor Egypt but Turkey as a city ili (province) on the southern Med coast. This would be massive win win for Gaza, Turkey and Israel if they truly think about it. Diffuse decades of tensions almost overnight and lightning development going forward.
As for West Bank, flood the Dead Sea to -1000 feet, thus creating a natural barrier requiring less international monitoring. Also trade all West Bank acquisitions by Israel for equal land starting at Eliat shore and working north allowing for uninterrupted boundaries for much larger Arab neighbor. It is the mental division of Israel all the way to the Gulf of Aqaba, splitting the Arab world in two, that is major reason for Arab/Israeli tensions. Arab mentality is to travel unrestricted across their entire sphere. This has not happened since 1947.
The alternative is at least a decade of stagnation, bitterness and more rioting. You choose.
http://wadisarabia.blogspot.com
If only it were that easy ....
Its about teaching that Jews aren't human for a century in every venue - mosque, school and media.
And its about telling your people and reinforcing the idea that Jews are inferior because they're infidels and because their evil in so many ways and using the Quran to justify teaching this hatred decade after decade.
Up and down these societies on every level this is the sort of thing taught. Its why when Lara Logan went walking in Tahrir Sq, the crowd became a mob chanting Jew Jew Jew pulling at her to take her apart. Spin it any way you want but its all about teaching religious hatred to the population.
The left would do well to stop denying it, stop defending the bad behavior using nonsensical reasons to justify it. You only enable those doing it to remain in denial and continue down the same path. Nothing will ever change until this aspect changes. The hatred has to stop being taught in the mosque, the word Jew has to stop being used as the common insult and the antisemitic conspiracy theories have to stop being disseminated - and people have to begin to speak the truth.