Stripping Cairo of its Palestine card

What Israel’s takeover of the border corridor means for Egypt

On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Israeli army announced it had taken full control of the Salaheddin (Philadelphia) corridor separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt. The occupying power thereby controls all possible access points to the territory, enabling it to prevent any humanitarian aid from reaching the inhabitants.

This long-awaited Israeli move coincides with the breakup of the US-built floating pier that was supposed to serve as an alternative aid conduit, and the transfer of its component parts to the occupied port of Asdood.

It would seem that a starvation plan is being put in place via the complete sealing of the Gaza Strip, with the agreement of all parties concerned and the blessing and supervision of the US.

Israeli forces took control of the 14-km border corridor, in blatant violation of signed agreements with Egypt, in full view of the Egyptian forces stationed on the other side. They did not fire a single bullet in response.

Many questions are raised by the silence and passivity of Egypt’s political and military authorities in this matter.

The only official Egyptian reaction has been to deny Israel’s claims to have discovered Hamas tunnels dug under the border — as though the problem were the existence or non-existence of these tunnels rather than Israel’s violation of Egypt’s territory and various agreements signed between the two sides. Chief of these is the 1979 Camp David treaty which the ruling Egyptian authorities constantly boast of adhering to in accordance with their respect for their commitments and international law.

Dia Rashwan, head of Egypt’s State Information Service, had declared repeatedly that the Salaheddin Corridor was a ‘red line’, and that any Israeli move to approach or occupy it would be totally unacceptable and a violation of the Camp David accords.

So why has here been no Egyptian response matching this contemptuous affront to the Egyptian state? Did the Israeli incursion have the prior approval of the Egyptian side, brokered by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his many shuttles (seven times in eight months) between the two capitals? And what was the payoff?

I have no answer to any of these questions given the deafening silence that prevails, especially on the Egyptian side.

What I can say is that by keeping quiet, the Egyptian authorities are shooting themselves in the foot. They are giving the impression of collusion in a provocative and aggressive action against their own country. That could have serious negative repercussions on domestic security and stability amid the seething public anger over Gaza.

Most immediately, Israel’s takeover of the border corridor strips Egypt of its most powerful and important cards in relation to the Palestinian cause. This after the loss of its water security due to Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam, and with its economic crisis worsening with Suez Canal revenues falling by half and expatriate remittances plummeting.

By stripping Egypt of its Palestinian card and taking over its sandy border with the Gaza Strip, Israel is reducing Egypt to a bit-player in the Palestine question, just like any other non-bordering Arab country — at least for the foreseeable future, given the retrenchment of Egypt’s once leading and pioneering role in the region and the world.

How, for example, can Egypt play a lead role in the Gaza ceasefire talks when it loses the confidence of the Palestinian negotiators (the resistance groups led by Hamas and lslamic Jihad) and people?
I’m not calling on the Egyptian authorities to send their army to liberate Palestine, or even to halt the Israeli army’s genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip (though that could be considered a moral and legal obligation given that it was under Egyptian military administration before Israel occupied it in 1967).

I’m only urging it to defend its own borders and national pride, and act as a good neighbour.
The people of Gaza will maintain their steadfastness and resistance come what may even if they have to do so alone. If the ‘tents massacre’ in Tal al-Sultan, in which children were burned alive by Israeli bombs, does not move their ‘big sister’ Egypt, nothing else will for the foreseeable future.

I say that with great sorrow. But I remain confident that Egypt is ever-yielding. Its great people will never abandon their kith and kin in Gaza and will come to their rescue. I do not say this out of wishful thinking, but tangible historical experience.

https://www.raialyoum.com/stripping-cairo-of-its-palestine-card/