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Israel-Egypt Relations: Peace between Governments, Not Peoples
(Media Line-Jerusalem Post) Keren Setton - More than 40 years after Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in March 1979, there "is a peace between regimes, not between people...based largely on mutual security interests," said Dr. Udi Balanga, an expert on Egypt from Bar-Ilan University. "There is a huge gap between security and defense relations, which are excellent, and civilian relations. At the level of the peoples, relations are very poor....There is no Egyptian will to create normalization." The Egyptian media and education system still disseminate much anti-Israel content. Leading intellectuals are Israel's staunchest critics, often spreading incitement and conspiracy theories about the Jewish state. "Generation after generation of Egyptians still see Israel as an enemy state," said Balanga. "Israel is seen as a very strong state in the region and this is viewed as a threat." At the same time, "in recent years, there are more and more economic ties between the countries," said Dr. Nimrod Goren, head of Mitvim - The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies. "There are also increasing civilian aspects to the relations. It looks like there is a decision on the Egyptian side that the relations can be upgraded and given more visibility."