Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has issued a statement indicating Israel’s “regret” about the death of three Egyptian security officers who were apparently killed by Israeli forces returning the fire of terrorists escaping into Egypt. However, that was insufficient to satisfy the Egyptian government. Cairo said it was still intent on withdrawing its ambassador to Israel, and the military government there was also insulted by Barak’s comments about Egypt losing its grip on the Sinai after Palestinian terrorists used the peninsula as a base to launch the attacks on the Eilat region that took the lives of eight Israelis on Thursday.
But the world is still waiting for Egypt to express its own regrets about the fact its territory was used by terrorists. Its government seems a lot more concerned about trying to stop Israel from pursuing the Eilat murderers and those who sent them to kill than in policing its own border and keeping the peace. That is a fact members of the United States Congress should remember when they are next asked to approve of the next installment of $2 billion in aid to Egypt.
Israel is right to do what it can to lessen tensions with Egypt. The peace with Egypt has always been cold, but it is also a strategic asset and it must be nurtured even under the most trying of circumstances. The post-Mubarak government of that country is more vulnerable than ever to anti-Israel sentiments from the Arab street as well as pressure from the increasingly influential Muslim Brotherhood. But its willingness to countenance the use of its territory by Palestinian terrorists undermines the peace far more than any riposte by Israel.
Though Americans have been at pains to treat the current Egyptian government with kid gloves as it adjusts to life without the old dictator, it is nevertheless important for Washington to send an unequivocal warning to Cairo. Should Egypt continue to turn a blind eye to anti-Israel terror launched from the Sinai or to strengthen its ties with Hamas in Gaza, that should result in the loss of the vital U.S. aid that helps keep the military in control of the country.
The Obama administration has been characteristically indecisive in its attitude toward Egypt during the last several months. But it is absolutely essential the Obama administration make it clear to Cairo there will be severe consequences if it allows itself to be maneuvered into conflict with Israel. The regime fears if it is seen as attempting to keep the peace with Israel it will be perceived as following Mubarak’s legacy. But if it continues on the path of appeasement of the Muslim Brotherhood, the result will be a further breakdown in the regional balance of power.
The United States has a right and a duty to demand accountability from Egypt about its own failures in Thursday’s incident. If it does not do so, the administration will be helping to set in motion a series of events that could further damage American interests in the region.
