Egypt's new foreign policy tests old alliances
LATIMES--Cairo is reaching out to Iran and the militant group Hamas, a new agenda that angers Israel and will pose a challenge to U.S. ties as it threatens to upend the balance of power in the Middle East.
Egypt's new government has embarked on adventurous diplomacy to replace the legacy of former President Hosni Mubarak with a bolder Middle East presence less compliant with the U.S. and Israel.
Cairo's maneuvers to reshape foreign policy include improved relations with the militant group Hamas, which controls theGaza Strip, and its decision to ignore Israeli objections and reopen the Rafah border crossing after years of blockade to stop weapons smuggling into the Palestinian enclave. Egypt also brokered the reconciliation pact signed last week between Hamas and its Palestinian rival, Fatah, to cooperate on an independent homeland.
Those moves come as Cairo is working to restore diplomatic ties with Iran, a country that the U.S. regards as a persistent threat to regional stability. This new agenda has angered Israel and is an indication that Egypt's emerging diplomacy will test allies and enemies on sensitive matters that could upset the balance of power in the region.
Such assertiveness following the political uprising that swept Mubarak from office in February comes as the country's dominance in the region had slipped, with Persian Gulf nations rising in stature and much of the Arab world criticizing Egypt for its close ties to Israel. The country is being run by a military council, which oversees a caretaker civilian Cabinet, until parliamentary and presidential elections are held this year.
The new attitude echoes through recent statements by Egyptian officials. Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby has called "shameful" Egypt's decision to close the Gaza border in 2007. Such a description would never have been publicly uttered under the Mubarak government. It is a sign the leadership is readjusting international policies to be more in line with public sentiment. The Rafah crossing is expected to reopen soon.
Cairo's 1979 peace treaty with Israel remains unpopular in Egypt. Islamic ultraconservatives, whose voices have grown louder since the fall of Mubarak, have called for scrapping the treaty. That is unlikely given the shared economic interests between the two countries and the prospect that such a move could jeopardize the $1.2 billion Egypt receives in annual aid from the United States. But Israel has grown increasingly irritated by Cairo's actions. Continued…