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Israel on Shifting Sands

(Politico) Walter Russell Mead - As the world watches the unpredictable turmoil in Egypt, no country is paying closer attention than Israel. The peace treaty between the two states is the most important result of 40 years of negotiations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, and is still the cornerstone of any lasting settlement to this dispute. Is Israel going to be once again isolated and friendless in a hostile Middle East? If a radical regime emerges in Egypt that repudiates the peace treaty, supports violence by Hamas or in other ways threatens Israel's security, the Obama administration will likely draw closer to Israel in response to majority sentiment and the political winds. The consolidation of a reasonably moderate and democratic government in Egypt, the cultural capital of the Arab world, could put the region, and the world, on the road to a more durable peace. A radical victory could drive a wedge not only between Israel and the Arab world, but deepen the divide between the West and the whole Islamic world.
2011-02-02 08:47:40
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