Out of the cold
Restored warmth in Egyptian-Israeli relations is triggering heated debate within Egypt. Mona El-Nahhas gauges reactions
After years of chilly relations with Israel, Egypt took a series of initiatives in just two weeks time that seemed to put normalising the Egyptian-Israeli relationship on the fast track. The public quickly discovered that releasing Israeli spy Azzam Azzam was just the start; soon thereafter, Egypt also signed a major trade accord with Israel.
Despite official claims that the moves were not part of a larger normalisation plan, many were worried by the perception that Israel was being rapidly transformed into a partner. While some also saw the moves as confirmation of increasing Israeli hegemony in the region, others welcomed what they saw as a more pragmatic and realistic posture by a government that puts Egyptian interests first. The fact that Egyptian officials remained mostly tight- lipped about the whole thing did not help.
The initial shock came with Azzam's release. After consistent denials that the release was in exchange for six Egyptian students being held by Israel for infiltrating the borders into Israeli held territory, Egyptian officials eventually changed their tone. "If they want to describe it as a deal," said presidential spokesman Maged Abdel- Fattah, "well, it's a deal as long as it helped our youth."
Political analyst Wahid Abdel- Meguid said the government should not feel awkward about using the word "deal, because it is a winning deal, serving Egypt's interests, as well as those of the Arab region".
Some people, however, were provoked by what they saw as an "unfair swap" because it took place just two weeks after three Egyptian border policemen were killed by Israel at Rafah. "Instead of taking retaliatory measures," said 35-year-old accountant Ali Mahmoud, "we send them back their spy, as if we were rewarding them for killing our men."
The night Azzam was released, the public was further baffled when state- run Egyptian TV's Channel 1 hosted, for the first time ever, Israeli embassy press attaché Israel Tikochinsky on a programme called "The Topic of the Hour".
Soon thereafter the announcement was made that Egypt would be signing a deal with Israel and the US to establish Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZ).
At that point, both the general public and political analysts began to suspect that Azzam's release was not just an isolated deal. "It is the beginning of concessions," said Al-Ahram columnist Salama Ahmed Salama, who criticised the way the government dealt with the issue. "Nobody knew exactly what had happened," Salama told Al-Ahram Weekly, "for everything took place behind the scenes".
Both the QIZ accord and the seemingly obvious trend towards "normalisation" were strongly condemned at a conference organised by the Egyptian Anti-Normalisation Committee at the Bar Association headquarters on Saturday. Nasserist Party Deputy Chairman Hamed Mahmoud, the committee's rapporteur, said the changes in Egypt's policy were providing Israel with a ripe opportunity to impose itself on the entire region. "Israel will no longer be isolated. It will gradually and smoothly infiltrate into Arab territories in a way that will make opposing [its presence] a very difficult task," he said.
Mahmoud also expected further Egyptian concessions. "Normalisation will extend to include all fields, including the agricultural sector. A deal for exporting Egyptian natural gas to Israel will also soon be signed."
According to Mahmoud, Israeli interference in Egyptian affairs will also go beyond the economic. "They will interfere in the education system, and in the Egyptian press."
The public, meanwhile, was equally confused about the contradictory statements that had emerged from official circles regarding the possibility of sending an Egyptian ambassador back to Tel Aviv. Former Egyptian ambassador Mohamed Bassyouni was recalled from Tel Aviv in September 2000.
Last week, Egypt suddenly hinted that there was a possibility of sending an Egyptian ambassador back to Israel. "Egypt and Israel are tied by a peace treaty, and it is normal for Egypt to have an ambassador in Israel to help in pushing the peace process forward," Abdel- Fattah said last week.
On Sunday, however, Abdel-Fattah subsequently denied that there was any promise of an ambassador returning soon. "When we are convinced that the peace process has entered a normal course, the ambassador will go to Israel," he said, adding, "we do not link his return to the Palestinian elections, but to the progress achieved in the peace process."
Abdel-Fattah asserted that Israel has lately pledged to facilitate the staging of free Palestinian elections, cooperate with the newly elected Palestinian government, revitalise the peace process, begin implementation of the roadmap, and take the necessary steps for establishing a Palestinian state.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit told reporters on Tuesday that these recent developments do signify a "honeymoon with Israel", but practical "cooperation in light of the current Palestinian situation".
On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz announced that Israeli forces would be withdrawn from Palestinian cities during the three days of elections scheduled to start on 9 January 2005.
Abul-Gheit described the statement, if true, as "critical". Since "we want to move in a framework" of withdrawal, he said, "forces coming back means a re-emergence of violence."
According to Salama, we should not be very optimistic, since the only thing "Egypt has received till now are mere promises. How can we guarantee that Israel will abide by them?" Salama criticised the Egyptian government for offering a package of gifts without getting enough guarantees in advance.
But according to Abdel-Meguid, the recent steps taken by Egypt should be considered a "very positive change" that may put an end to the cycle of violence. He believes that Sharon's readiness to push the peace process forward is what encouraged Egypt to improve relations with Israel. "Yet, to achieve a tangible improvement in the peace process, the Palestinian side should adopt a policy of self-control. For stopping violence was the only demand voiced by Sharon," Abdel-Meguid said.
Secretary-General of the leftist Tagammu Party Hussein Abdel-Razeq agreed with Salama, and predicted that the Egyptian initiatives would lead nowhere. "The only thing that might happen is that we'll have a better relationship with the US and thus less US pressure calling for reform and democracy in the area." According to Abdel-Razeq, "winning American support is essential for the regime, especially prior to the presidential referendum scheduled for October 2005, which is being widely opposed by the public".
Mohamed El-Sayed Said, deputy director of Al-Ahram's Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, described Egypt's recent initiatives as "trying to win US trust to balance the US perception that Arab systems in general are major causes of terrorism and violence".
Said said the second goal of the recent rapprochement with the US and Israel aimed at "trying to establish a mechanism that may help in ending the vicious circle of violence taking place in Palestinian lands".
Abdel-Razeq said Bush's re-election and the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat were the two main catalysts for Egypt reconsidering its stance. "Egypt came to realise that it has to deal with Bush's extremist administration as a matter of fact in order to avoid a possible US escalation in the Middle East area. And after Arafat's death, Egypt was afraid it would lose the mediator role it used to play in the peace process, since Mahmoud Abbas would have direct contacts with Tel Aviv and Washington, and may not need Egyptian mediation," he said.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/721/eg5.htm