Egypt’s interim prime minister literally broke into tears over the weekend trying to convey just how bad the country’s economy has gotten. Not a small part of that economic crisis is grounded in Egypt’s spiteful economic campaign against Israel, which has seen Cairo sever most of its industrial and agriculture ties with Jerusalem:
[Israeli] officials, sounding cool, noted that there were precious few relations left to break, since Egypt had long been severing ties to punish Israel for refusing to yield to the Palestinians in the peace process. Egyptian-Israeli agricultural schemes long ago ground to a halt. Factories with Israeli links that had profited from tariff-free exports to the United States have shut. Since Egypt’s revolution began in January, Israeli tourists have virtually stopped coming. This year Egyptian militants have blown up a pipeline pumping Egyptian gas to Israel nine times.
Despite facing an economic downturn of generational proportions, the Egyptian government even banned palm frond exports ahead of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot this year. The fronds are ceremonially necessary during the holiday, and Israel used to import 700,000 per year from Egypt. Not in 2011.
Just in case there are any agricultural ties left, by the by, Minister of Agriculture Mohamed Reda Ismail wants you to know he’ll be eliminating them. During a recent public discussion on the potential harms of pesticides, he took a detour to assure Egyptians that “if I knew [of any] Israeli experts working in the agricultural field in Egypt, I will fire them immediately” (Arabic; Google Translate).
Israel is of course a global leader in agricultural innovation but – again – the Egyptian government has its priorities. Petulant anti-Israel campaigning first. Feeding Egyptians second.
The last Egyptian minister of Agriculture scapegoated Israel for the E. Coli-infected Egyptian farm exports that killed 48 Germans and a Swede. The current one is willing to give up on growing more food so he can indulge in Israel-bashing. And the next one is likely to be an out-and-out Islamist.
I’m beginning to worry that things in Egypt aren’t getting better.
Given the rapid decline in foreign currency reserves, they will depleted within a few months. Absent a massive infusion from their rich Arab brethren (the EU and US no doubt will offer a few billion in loans) there will soon be little money to pay for food imports. Some are no doubt thinking how to blame it on the Jews.
but let me guess: when the Egyptian people begin starving to death, it's going to be Israel's fault.
Some say Egyptians will be starving in six months. Perhaps they can then try and eat the palm fronds they refused to sell to the Jews.
How wonderful. Been a long time since something reminded Egypt about the Wisdom of spiting in the Apple of the Eye of the ONE TRUE LIVING GOD. What a blessing.
The two nations are not friends, why should they act as friends? n nThe Yankees don't deal with their enemies, why should you expect Egypt to? Just because it's Israel? screw them, until they stop killing innocent civilians who rightfully own the land, then i hope every nation stops dealing with Israel. thankfully a lot of people are realizing the true nature of Israel and it's apartheid policies, only a matter of time until this unjustified fake nation disappears for ever. n n
The two nations are not friends, why should they act as friends?