Israelis are SO Paranoid
Aside from the fact that this opinion is just horribly, horribly written–it is as simplistic and articulate as a sixth grader–it’s also plain wrong. Gilad (the son of Ariel Sharon) offers no justification or proof as to how Egypt actively engages in arms smuggling other than the fact that the “explosions reverberate.” Furthermore, he neglects to mention that Egypt has been actively arming FATAH at ISRAEL’S INSISTENCE so as to choke Hamas’ grip on power. Egypt has suffered from Palestinian terror as well–in Taba, Sharm el-Sheikh, and Dahab, but of course Israelis couldn’t care less because they think they are the only people in the world who suffer.
Furthermore, egypt allows Khaled Meshal to enter the territory because IT IS IN THE BEST INEREST OF PEACE. Egypt doesn’t care about Israel or Palestine. It cares about peace, and has been an active proponent of peace from the Treaty of Kadesh to the Camp David Accords. How can you have peace without negotiation and dialogue? How can you have negotiation and dialogue without the elected leader of the Palestinian people? Come on now, even the US gov’t recognizes the need to directly engage Meshal (who would not be arrested in any “responsible” country as Gilad so inaccurately posits).
Now this makes me furious:
It is hard to explain Egypt’s extensive military acquisitions, a country without enemies and with grave domestic problems.
REALLY? EGYPT HAS NO ENEMIES? We share a border with THE FIVE MOST UNSTABLE, RETARDED COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD. Need I go through the list:
To our West is Libya, led by a psychotic, self-delusional tyrant named Muammar Qaddafi with a history of sponsoring terrorism and contempt for Egypt, which went so far as to allow Soviet spies to use Libya as a staging ground for espionage on Egypt until Sadat bombed Libyan bases in the 1970s.
To our South is Sudan. This is a country with deep historical grievances with Egypt. It is run by an Islamofascist government that sponsors genocide against Darfurians and south Sudanese. Furthermore, this government sponsors terrorism. It has given refuge to OBL and has even AIDED TERRORISTS IN ATTEMPTING TO ASSASINATE PRESIDENT MUBARAK in Addis Ababa in 1995. Furthermore, its devastating policies send 2-3 MILLION Sudanese refugees into our country. These refugees are a destablizing force, a burden on resources, and consume more than they contribute. Egypt is a poor country and they do it no service.
To our East is Saudi Arabia. This is a theocratic, kleptocratic monarchy, which has conspired with assasination attempts on Egyptian leaders in the past and is historically jealous of Egypt’s role in the Middle East. It abuses egyptian workers en masse and has funded the Wahhabist mosques and charities that have poisoned the minds of Egyptians with their fundamentalist garble for decades now.
To our Northeast lie Israel and Palestine. The former, Israel, is an aggressive nuclear power, which has pre-emptively invaded Egypt in 1956 and 1967. It is a country that maintains a clear military advantage over Egypt, and has clear and utter contempt for Egypt’s basic existence as shown by Gilad’s article and the rah-rah-ing of commentators on Haaretz’s talkback.
The latter, Palestine, is a pseudo-nation in an almost constant state of civil war. It is led by Islamic fundamentalists. Despite all that Egypt has sacrificed for its cause, it spits in our face and burns our flag in its streets. The Palestinians have launched numerous terror attacks into Egypt, assasinating our President Sadat, and then going so far as to kill dozens of Egyptian civilians in bombings in Taba, Sharm-el Sheikh, and Dahab.
Not to mention, Egypt needs a strong Navy to patrol the Suez Canal, one of the most imporant water causeways for international trade, particularly in vital resources like petroleum, in the world. Egypt needs to maintain a strong military presence to ward off potential Islamic insurrectionists and protect millions of tourists.
Furthermore, Egypt needs to ensure it has the capabilities to protect its more precious resource, the Nile, which has been threatened by the Ethiopian and Ugandan governments on more than one occasion (a measure in Uganda’s parliament a few years ago wanted to tax Egypt $1 billion a year to merely use the Nile).
AND YOU, GILAD SHARON, HAVE THE AUDACITY TO SUGGEST IT HAS NO NEED FOR ITS MILITARY??? Absolutely disgusting and pathetic. Egypt is the only country in the world to have to constantly face so many threats and demands, and when it tries to address them, it is criticized! It is a testament to the fortitude of the Egyptian government, and its affection for peace and stability at all costs, that Egypt has avoided war with its pugnacious neighbors in 30 years.
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Wait, Egypt cares about peace? It’s a police state that terrorizes peaceful activists and human rights supporters within the country, does Egypt only care about its reputation abroad? I would group Egypt in pretty much the same category as the other so called “retarded countries,” at least in terms of human rights.
On the stance of Egypt and Israel I agree with you, I just disagree with you kind of claiming as if Egypt truly cares about domestic stability or peace when it throws people in prison for criticisms and “defaming the reputation of Egypt.” Its harassments are disgusting and laughable.
There are certainly valid, numerous human rights concerns within Egypt that need to be adressed. But when it comes to ensuring regional stability and proper diplomacy, Egypt has been 100% in the right. Egypt probably has the best, most balanced foreign policy of any Middle Eastern nation.
Yes, of course Gilad Sharon’s statements are an accurate description on an entire people’s attitude…
MiddleEastMania has a very good point. It is very important that we consider the source. Gilad is not, after all, even a member of Knesset, let alone a member of the government. He has no standing in Israel beyond being the son of a famous general and prime minister.
Talkback? Have you read those before? What percent of those comments, by Israelis, Jews, Arabs, and other interested parties offer thoughtful responses? 1? 5? Certainly no higher than that.
That said, as an Israeli, I would like to point out that the cold peace between Israel and Egypt is disappointing. An agreement has been in place for decades and yet the relatively new accord with Jordan has led to vastly more cultural and economic relations between the former rivals. Perhaps it is wishful thinking to have hoped that warmer ties between Israel and Egypt could have developed.
And it is clear to many in Israel that Egypt has played a positive and important role in trying to curb instability in the Palestinian Authority. As I recall, one of its representatives was injured in an exchange of gunfire between Fatah and Hamas gunmen just the other day in the midst of a mediation attempt. And for that, Israelis need to be grateful.
Also, it is disconcerting that the Egyptian government-controlled media continues to rail invective against Israel. The mixture of anti-Jewish caricatures and exaggerated political accusations against Israel do not help encourage neighborly feelings.
Patrick, you wrote above that Israel has “clear and utter contempt for Egypt’s basic existence.” That is not the case – at all. Israelis actually have a great deal of respect for and interest in Egyptian culture and history. Israelis visit Egypt on a regular basis. Even the ongoing bombings in the Sinai that targetted tourist centers frequented by Israelis has not completely discouraged Israeli tourists.
So don’t place too much stock in Gilad Sharon’s article. Very few in Israel do.
Yeha, I think I overreacted. I also hope that relations between Egypt and Israel can become much warmer and vibrant, not just on a political governmental level but also on an economic, cultural, and social level with increased exchange between the two peoples. I hope and believe that people like Adam and Middle East Mania are more representative of prevailing viewpoints in Israel than either Gilad or those talkbalk people.
I wholeheartedly share disappointment in Epytian-Israeli tensions right now. Past grudges are being dragged into current affairs where they don’t belong. For Israel and Egypt, which have managed to sustain such a (relatively) stable relationship, its a shame that extremists on both sides feel the need to deteriorate it for their own political gains. Let’s hope neither country makes much out of Gilad Sharon.