25 April 2011
More than half of Egyptians want their country’s peace treaty with Israel annulled. That is the finding of a new poll by the Pew Research Center’s Pew Global Attitudes Project:
No dividend emerges for the United States from the political changes that have occurred in Egypt. Favorable ratings of the U.S. remain as low as they have been in recent years, and many Egyptians say they want a less close relationship with America. Israel fares even more poorly. By a 54%-to-36% margin, Egyptians want the peace treaty with that country annulled.
My quick analysis: This will be a bitter disappointment for those who have been saying that the Arab uprisings have ‘nothing to do with Israel’ or would even be to the advantage of Israel. Even if Israel was not on top of the agenda of Egyptians (or any other Arab people trying to overthrow their regime), the Egyptian revolution was not just against a local dictator. It was also a rejection of the regional order dominated by the United States and Israel, and which made Egypt – once the leader of the Arab world – a mere vassal to these countries. This poll would seem to support the view that a democratic Egypt would not continue to play the role Mubarak’s regime did: aiding and abetting Israel’s wars against other Arabs, assisting Israel enforce the siege of Gaza, helping to foment division among Palestinian factions, and providing Arab cover for a fake and failed US-led “peace process” that has only given Israel more opportunity to colonize Arab land with impunity. Already, Egypt’s moves to repair relations with Iran suggest Cairo is edging away from its role as a regional US satellite.
The poll’s other findings show that on the whole, Egyptians are optimistic about the changes their revolution is bringing about. Still, the regional US-led counterrevolution is in full swing, so Egyptians will have to work hard to protect and complete their revolution and ensure it leads to real democracy.
