A new wall for Israel, in Cairo
Issandr El Amrani
First there was the West Bank wall, then the Gaza wall, then the Israeli-Egyptian wall in Sinai — and now the Egyptian government is building a wall outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo to protect it from protests.
It may be a necessary thing — all countries have a responsibility to protect foreign missions in their territory. But, at a time of renewed indignation over the deaths of Egyptian border guards in the context of Turkey's downgrading of relations with Israel, it certainly sends a weird message.
There are those, notably in Israel, who will no doubt regret that it has come to this: Israeli diplomats being protected from an angry Egyptian population that is now as anti-Israeli as anytime since the two countries were at war. They should face the reality: this anger does just stem from the shootings, it also comes the fury at their own government's inaction (or connivence) over the Gaza war, the Lebanon war, the ever-expanding settlements in the last three decades.
Reader Comments (8)
This wall will not serve any purpose other than a place where Egyptians can paint anti Israel slogans. This is Israel Isolating it self not protecting itself. Israel is boxing itself in. This does not make any sense. It is definately time for leadership change in Israel. It will not be long when the cost of housing protests turn to regime change.
I'm trying to follow the logic, here. Please help me understand - Tahrir happened because Egyptians were unhappy with their government's attitude towards Israel? It had nothing to do with their internal state of affairs?
The Egyptians people, being peace loving and benevolent towards all their neighbors, had also protested outside the Libyan embassy? The Syrian? The Turkish? The Chinese after Tiananmen? The Pakistani after the attack in India?
If memory serves, the Egyptians were only too happy to accept support from the USSR, during a time it was ruthlessly butchering Hungarians.
Why is Israel and the Palestinian interlopers such an aberration? why focus on a lukewarm war that in 2.5 years cost less lives on either side than 2 months in Lybia or Syria?
Why focus on an outside affair? Why is this conflict so dear to the Egyptian?
The suffering of the Palestinians? Many people suffer. some under regimes which the Egyptians by and large endorse.
So what makes this particular conflict deserving of "it also comes the fury at their own government's inaction (or connivence) over the Gaza war, the Lebanon war, the ever-expanding settlements in the last three decades" - why do they choose to care, and so asymmetrically, in this particular conflict?
Just a short reminder - neither the Lebanese nor the Gazzan where innocent by any stretch of the imagination - why keep picking on Israel?
As a short aside - "http://www.asmeascholars.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1383&catid=9&Itemid=64" ( "http://jrs.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/4/535.short")
the 2.5 years statistcs are based on b'tselem site - "http://old.btselem.org/statistics/english/casualties.asp?sD=19&sM=01&sY=2009&filterby=event&oferet_stat=after"
I truly wish to know, If this question is offensive or illegitimate please remove it.
Not sure what logic you're following, but it's not mine. The revolution was not about Israel — but it liberated Egyptians to have an impact on their country's foreign policy. And that is what is happening now.
This peace treaty is the last peace treaty. Israel is perfectly capable of destroying the Egyptian state by belligerency.
Bah !!!
Flagman climbed 21 stories to take down the Israeli flag. You really think that pathetic 20 foot wall will save the embassy of thieves? It could be the largest wall in the world and it still wouldn't be big enough.
Walls have never saved anyone from the wrath of the people and walls will certainly not save Israel.
Israel has walled themselves off from the world, realistically and metaphorically speaking. That is to say that they have literally put a wall in between them and the Arab states, and are now putting a wall in between them and their relationship with the rest of the world.
That wasn't the question, though. What I've been wandering is - now that Egyptians can impact their own foreign policy (amongst other policies, one would hope) - why channel all that potential towards a single goal? Where are the would be policy changers, when other countries are concerned?
This is something of a puzzle to me, considering the raison d'etat for the anti-Israel actions.
If the reasons for Israel bashing are the ones stated, it makes little sense not to go after the much bigger fish (as far as those reasons hold) in the pond, and concentrate exclusively on Israel.
So that's my question, hopefully now I was clearer.
@ surreal
Indeed there hasn't been much policy changes regarding other countries as yet (if you are looking for policy changes it probably won't happen until the new government gets elected, think that is the main thing stalling them).
There has been a few policy changes brought in by the Military Council regarding countries other than Israel. The increase in diplomatic relations between Egypt-Iran and the opening of the Suez to Iranian military vessels are two. Egypt has also come out in support of the revolutions in Syria and Libya. But naturally the Israel issue will be the elephant attracting alot of attention in Egyptian foreign policy.