Egypt, Israel and American Pressures

Regardless of the result of Israel’s continuous pressure on the American administration to urge Egyptian President Dr. Mohammed Morsi or his representatives to sit and talk with Israeli officials, Egypt must clarify its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that Washington is trying to push forward in the coming days.

The question is: Will Egypt stand at the fence, or will it be involved in this negotiation process? Such involvement would mean a change in the positions of the ruling regime in Egypt. For Egypt to be involved in the peace process, it should maintain relationships with the Palestinians and with the Israelis. This contradicts both Freedom and Justice Party and Muslim Brotherhood doctrine, with whom Morsi is affiliated. Israel is the Zionist entity that is not recognized by the Muslim Brotherhood. Therefore, it is not possible — at least for the time being — to see a meeting between President Morsi and his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But in the near future things might change. If we put this subject into a wider perspective, Egypt will be in a difficult situation whether it excludes itself from the negotiations or is involved in them; the latter will make the domestic situation very difficult for Morsi.

Between these two directions, Israeli and American pressures are pushing Morsi’s government into direct relationship with Israel. According to reliable sources Washington has demanded three things from the ruling regime in Egypt. First, to declare full compliance with the Peace Agreement; Egyptian President Morsi has delivered that. Second, to stabilize the domestic situation in Egypt, a matter that is currently being emphasized by the Americans. Third, which is of great importance to the American administration, is a meeting between Israel and Egypt at the presidential level. So Cairo should announce its stance on this clearly and openly. I suggest that this subject be discussed and debated among the elite and the political parties to reach a consensus.