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Gaza Border Crisis Pressures Egypt More than Israel

[Dar Al-Hayat-Lebanon] Abdullah Iskandar - Tehran is trying to hold Cairo responsible for the slowdown in normalizing relations without offering any compromise regarding Iranian behavior or policies. From an Egyptian perspective, official Iran still adheres to the policy of glorifying the killer of Anwar Sadat. However, a bigger source of anxiety is that the terrorism from which Egypt continues to suffer still finds its justification in this glorification. Different varieties of terror have hit several Arab countries and there is evidence implicating Iran, as it serves as a "safe haven" for those wanted in their own countries on terror charges, some of whom are Egyptians. While Tehran was declaring its desire to normalize relations with Egypt, the Gaza crossing-points crisis broke out, causing an initial embarrassing confrontation between Egypt and the Palestinians. This has led to the view that the border-crossing crisis was a form of pressure on Egypt, at the domestic and regional levels, more than a tool of pressure on Israel.
2008-02-05 01:00:00
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