The alarm bell began to ring in Israel after the toppling of Mubarak’s regime in Egypt
CAIRO – Despite maintaining silence over the developments in neighboring Egypt that peaked in the ouster of long-standing leader Hosni Mubarak, the alarm bell began to ring in Israel over the heavyweight Arab country’s next ruler.
“We don’t know who will be running things in the coming months in Egypt," a top Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The New York Times on Saturday, February 12.
Mubarak, who has been ruling Egypt since 1981, handed over power to the Egyptian army on Friday after an 18-day popular uprising.
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty in 1979 with Israel which has always relied on Mubarak as a partner in maintaining peace in the Middle East.
Now Mubarak is gone, Israel is terrified with the potential scenarios that could take place in post-Mubarak Egypt.
"We have to keep two things in mind," the Israeli official said.
"The first is that the only example we have of this kind of thing in the region is Iran in 1979. You can’t take that out of your mind.
"The second is that if Egypt pulls back in any way from its peace with Israel, it will discourage anyone else in the region, including the Palestinians, from stepping forward. So the regional implications for us are significant.”
The change of power in Egypt might also change Israel’s entire strategic outlook, given the fact that, thanks to the 1979 treaty, the Israeli military kept minimal presence on its southern border, freeing it up for actions to the east and north.
In addition to that, Israel imports about 40 percent of its natural gas from Egypt, which has also been supportive and helpful in negotiating with the Palestinians.
Egypt has played a big role in stopping the smuggling of weapons and goods into Gaza, and in helping Israel in its blockade policy aimed at pressuring Hamas.
In an effort to ease its ally’s worries, the top US military officer Admiral Mike Mullen will head to Israel for talks with Israeli officials.
"At this very critical time in the Middle East (Mullen wants) to reassure our Israeli partners that our commitment to them, and to the military relationship that we have enjoyed with them, remains strong," Capt. John Kirby, an aide to Mullen, told Reuters.
Israel in Trouble
Israel's former ambassador to Egypt was particularly pessimistic after Mubarak's ouster.
"As long as we had Mubarak, there was no void in our relations with the region,” Zvi Mazel told Yediot Aharonot.
“Now we're in big trouble."
He even went as far as thinking that Egypt has lost its prominent status in the region due to Mubarak's resignation.
"It's over, Egypt is no longer a superpower,” he said.
"Egypt has completely lost its status in the area, while Turkey and Iran are on the way up. It's a different world."
Israel, Mazel said, had many reasons for concern.
"From a strategic point of view, Israel is now facing a hostile situation. It's over, there is no one left to lead the pragmatic, moderate state."
The former envoy feared that the fate of Israel's relations with Egypt in the coming years is hard to predict.
"The army will likely maintain the peace agreement, but there will be developments we cannot foresee at this time," he said.
But this is not the last change of power in the Middle East, Mazel predicts.
"We may see a series of upheavals in the region now. Mubarak's downfall supports revolutionaries everywhere, from Yemen to Algeria.
"The question is whether such Middle East will be manageable. What if there are coups in Jordan, Morocco or Saudi Arabia? Only God knows who will take power."STYLE-->
CAIRO – Despite maintaining silence over the developments in neighboring Egypt that peaked in the ouster of long-standing leader Hosni Mubarak, the alarm bell began to ring in Israel over the heavyweight Arab country’s next ruler.
“We don’t know who will be running things in the coming months in Egypt," a top Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The New York Times on Saturday, February 12.
Mubarak, who has been ruling Egypt since 1981, handed over power to the Egyptian army on Friday after an 18-day popular uprising.
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty in 1979 with Israel which has always relied on Mubarak as a partner in maintaining peace in the Middle East.
Now Mubarak is gone, Israel is terrified with the potential scenarios that could take place in post-Mubarak Egypt.
"We have to keep two things in mind," the Israeli official said.
"The first is that the only example we have of this kind of thing in the region is Iran in 1979. You can’t take that out of your mind.
"The second is that if Egypt pulls back in any way from its peace with Israel, it will discourage anyone else in the region, including the Palestinians, from stepping forward. So the regional implications for us are significant.”
The change of power in Egypt might also change Israel’s entire strategic outlook, given the fact that, thanks to the 1979 treaty, the Israeli military kept minimal presence on its southern border, freeing it up for actions to the east and north.
In addition to that, Israel imports about 40 percent of its natural gas from Egypt, which has also been supportive and helpful in negotiating with the Palestinians.
Egypt has played a big role in stopping the smuggling of weapons and goods into Gaza, and in helping Israel in its blockade policy aimed at pressuring Hamas.
In an effort to ease its ally’s worries, the top US military officer Admiral Mike Mullen will head to Israel for talks with Israeli officials.
"At this very critical time in the Middle East (Mullen wants) to reassure our Israeli partners that our commitment to them, and to the military relationship that we have enjoyed with them, remains strong," Capt. John Kirby, an aide to Mullen, told Reuters.
Israel in Trouble
Israel's former ambassador to Egypt was particularly pessimistic after Mubarak's ouster.
"As long as we had Mubarak, there was no void in our relations with the region,” Zvi Mazel told Yediot Aharonot.
“Now we're in big trouble."
He even went as far as thinking that Egypt has lost its prominent status in the region due to Mubarak's resignation.
"It's over, Egypt is no longer a superpower,” he said.
"Egypt has completely lost its status in the area, while Turkey and Iran are on the way up. It's a different world."
Israel, Mazel said, had many reasons for concern.
"From a strategic point of view, Israel is now facing a hostile situation. It's over, there is no one left to lead the pragmatic, moderate state."
The former envoy feared that the fate of Israel's relations with Egypt in the coming years is hard to predict.
"The army will likely maintain the peace agreement, but there will be developments we cannot foresee at this time," he said.
But this is not the last change of power in the Middle East, Mazel predicts.
"We may see a series of upheavals in the region now. Mubarak's downfall supports revolutionaries everywhere, from Yemen to Algeria.
"The question is whether such Middle East will be manageable. What if there are coups in Jordan, Morocco or Saudi Arabia? Only God knows who will take power."
