Trump guarantees Saudi Arabia, but what about Egypt?

Written by Nasser Kandil,

It is difficult to separate between the US announcement of making the date of transferring the US embassy to Jerusalem on the commemoration day of the usurpation of Palestine this year after less than three months, from the American consideration of the solidity of the alliance which includes America, Israel, and the Gulf governments especially Saudi Arabia and UAE, and the readiness of this alliance to bear the burdens of this procedural decision, which was planned to be carried out years later, as announced by the US Secretary of State Rex Tilerson after his President Donald Trump signed the decision of transferring. But Saudi Arabia and its partners in the Gulf do not form an adequate guarantee to absorb the results of this provocative development which it seemed clearly that Palestine is its arena without any signs of Arab popular anger to deter the governments from their dashing behind America and without making any consideration.

With the exception of the initiative of the resistance axis of igniting  the streets in Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen which its popular crowds came out under the bombing of Saudi aircraft in supporting Palestine which seemed alone among the Arabs and where the reactions of the Islamic world exceed those witnessed by the Arab world, Washington was confident that the process of taming the Arab street has reached advanced stages by making it under the control of the governments on one hand, and a fact under the influence of the obsession of making the conflict with Iran and the sectarian fanaticism exceed the sanctity of the Palestinian cause and what it arises of feelings and emotions towards Jerusalem.

Historically and politically Egypt forms the winning card. Historically Egypt is the Arab street, but the absence of the Egyptian street from the issue of the announcement of Jerusalem as a capital of Israel was surprising. Historically, Egypt is the important Arab balanced force internationally and among the Arabs and the Muslims despite the advanced status of Saudi Arabia which was not achieved but because Egypt retreated, as proved by the Egyptian waiver of the islands of Thiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia and the chasing of everyone who said that these islands are Egyptian. Politically, Egypt is the direct neighbor of Palestine on open borders with Gaza strip where the Palestinian resistance exists, and where Egypt is controlling most of the Palestinian position and the strength of its presence against the projects of ending the Palestinian cause through its geographic, economic, security, and demographic influence.

Contrary to the hopes aspired for the post-Muslim Brotherhood stage in Egypt and the role of the army in reconsidering the status of Egypt in the Arab issues, it seems that the rule in Egypt is motivated by authoritarian interest to adjust the constitution to ensure indefinite powers for the president, and ready to present what is necessary to get the support of Washington and Riyadh as two capitals that are able to hinder the process and have money and intelligence to arise noise and to support forces of objection. It seems that the cost of the allowance of suppressing every objection and protest is by handing over the international and the regional decision to Washington especially concerning the Palestinian cause to the extent of the economic normalization regarding gas deal which the head of the occupation government Benjamin Netanyahu is boasting of, and to hand over the Arab leadership to Saudi Arabia.

The provocation and the challenge represented by the decision of transferring the US Embassy to Jerusalem oblige the Palestinians along with those who support them in the East and West to bear the responsibility of moving without depending on the Arab street or on any serious official position after it became stable that the Gulf and Egypt are outside any consideration.

Translated by Lina Shehadeh,