(Hudson Institute-New York) Khaled Abu Toameh - For years, the Egyptians have been strongly condemning Israel for erecting the security fence in the West Bank. But now Egypt is quietly building its own wall along its border with Gaza and does not want to hear any complaints. The Israeli barrier was built with the chief goal of halting suicide bombings and other terror activities against Israelis. The Egyptian fence, on the other hand, is being constructed to stop Palestinians living in Gaza from entering Egypt. Israel does not want to reopen its borders with Gaza and that is regrettable and painful, but also understandable. But what one cannot understand is the negative attitude of the Egyptians and the rest of the Arab regimes toward the misery of their Palestinian brothers. The Arab rulers want Gaza to remain Israel's problem alone. The ironic part is that PA President Mahmoud Abbas is now defending Egypt's right to build a separation wall. This is the same Abbas who, for years, has been condemning Israel's "Apartheid Wall" and urging the world to force Israel to tear it down.
2009-12-25 08:21:32Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive