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Morsi's Dilemma

(Jerusalem Post) Zvi Mazel - Egypt adopted a number of retaliatory measures following the killing of Hamas military commander Ahmed Jabari. The Egyptian ambassador was recalled to Cairo and Israel's ambassador received an official protest. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi demanded that the Arab League call an urgent meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss "criminal Israeli aggression" on Gaza, and sought an immediate meeting of the UN Security Council. Morsi has taken all the common diplomatic steps to demonstrate his anger at Israel, while being careful not to go further - for the moment. There has been no attempt to sever diplomatic relations and no threat to the peace treaty. Morsi knows well enough who started the present round of fighting - as well as the previous ones - but feels that Muslim/Arab solidarity demands a "suitable Egyptian response." The fact is that Morsi needs a peaceful border with Israel and continuing security cooperation in order to tackle terror in Sinai as well as the economy. The Egyptian army is itself under attack in Sinai; there are almost daily assaults on police stations, roadblocks, and even army patrols. While violent diatribes are directed at Israel, furious negotiations are probably going on with Hamas, which has come to understand that it has gone too far this time and is paying the price. The writer, a Fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, is a former ambassador to Egypt.
2012-11-18 00:00:00
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