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The National
30-04-2025
- Business
- The National
Donald Trump's Suez comments sink Egypt-US relations deeper into uncertain territory
Egypt's relations with the US are edging deeper into uncertain territory as proposals affecting Cairo by President Donald Trump test one of Washington's most enduring partnerships in the Middle East. Soon after taking office in January, Mr Trump proposed that Palestinians from the war-battered Gaza Strip be resettled in Egypt and Jordan, an idea rejected by both countries. Last weekend, he suggested Egypt should allow US vessels, both military and commercial, to transit the Suez Canal free of charge. Analysts and sources with first-hand knowledge of the dynamics of US-Egypt relations rule out the possibility of the friendship forged in the 1970s turning into open hostility or a parting of ways, but they believe it is set for a period of tumult and distrust that could last until Mr Trump's second term ends in 2029. Egypt has said Mr Trump's proposal to move Palestinians from Gaza across the border into its sparsely populated Sinai Peninsula would not only make it party to a historical injustice and hollow out the Palestinian cause, but would also pose a threat to its national security. Cairo has yet to officially respond to the suggestion of free passage for US vessels through the Suez but the idea has been dismissed as preposterous by pro-government TV talk show hosts, who have devoted much of their broadcasts since the weekend to the issue, using patriotic and defiant rhetoric. Estimates put the total amount of transit fees paid annually by US ships that sail through the canal at about $150 million, with about 40 warships and 300 commercial vessels making the journey. "It is difficult to imagine that Trump is worried about this small amount of money," said Anis Salem, a retired career diplomat from Egypt who is now a senior member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, a think tank in Cairo. "It's likely more about his business mindset of 'no such thing as a free lunch'," he added, speculating that Mr Trump's demand may be rooted in his belief that the US air campaign against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi forces to stop their attacks on Red Sea shipping is designed to help the Suez Canal regain the traffic it has lost as a result. The Houthi attacks, ostensibly in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, have slashed by more than half Egypt's revenue from the canal, a main source of foreign currency for the cash-strapped nation of 106 million. Signs of tension between Cairo and the Trump administration emerged in early February when Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi indefinitely put off a White House visit he had been expected to make later that month, sources told The National at the time. The Egyptian leader's move followed Mr Trump's proposal to relocate Gaza's population and bring the tiny enclave on the East Mediterranean under US control before turning it into a glitzy resort – ideas that have been denounced by much of the world but warmly embraced by Israel, Washington's closest Middle East ally and biggest beneficiary of US aid. For his part, Mr Trump omitted Egypt from his Middle East tour next month, when he plans stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. "It's a strategic mistake to belittle Egypt's role in the region by leaving it out of his tour," said Mr Salem. "After all, Egypt's US-sponsored 1979 peace treaty with Israel is probably one of Washington's biggest foreign policy achievement in 50 years." He pointed out that Mr Trump did not visit Egypt during his first term in office between 2017 and 2021. The direction in which US-Egypt relations will turn, however, may be decided in large part by whether Mr Trump pursues his idea of relocating Gaza's population and continues to give Israel free rein in the war, which has killed more than 52,300 Palestinians since it began 18 months ago. "A great deal depends on what happens in Gaza when it comes to Egypt's relations with the Trump administration," said Michael Hanna, the New York-based director of the US programme at the International Crisis Group. "Israel is of no mind to agree to a ceasefire or pull back from pieces of Gaza it has occupied, and it is not under any real pressure from the Americans to do any of that," he told The National. "Neither Egypt nor the US are looking for a fight but the Egyptians feel a little under siege these days." Significantly, Mr Trump exempted both Egypt and Israel from his decision to terminate foreign aid programmes. However, he appeared to raise the possibility of this changing in the case of Egypt when he publicly expressed disappointment at its rejection of his idea to resettle Palestinians there, despite receiving billions of dollars in US aid over the years. Egypt and the US are not new to disputes, having been at odds over a range of issues in the past. These include what successive Egyptian governments see as Washington's heavy bias in favour of Israel, Cairo's military ties with communist North Korea and, in the past decade, Egypt's arms purchases from Russia, which it has tacitly supported politically in its war against western-backed Ukraine. Another point of contention has been US criticism of Egypt's human rights record, which had at times led Washington to partly suspend or withhold its military assistance package, which currently runs at $1.3 billion a year. In recent weeks, Egypt has stepped up its policy of diversifying its US-dominated arsenal and deepening military ties with two of Washington's biggest adversaries – Russia and China. It has recently purchased a cutting-edge air defence system from Beijing and is considering buying Chinese jet fighters with capabilities similar to the US-made F-16s it already has in service, the sources say. It is also holding its first joint aerial war drills with China this month and has just completed naval war games with Russia in the Mediterranean. The sources said China's President Xi Jinping was likely to make a milestone visit to Egypt in the near future, although there has been no official announcement. However, while these arms purchases and war games send a clear message to Washington that Cairo is not beholden to US largesse or influence, the policy of diversifying Egypt's weaponry has its limitations, the sources said. The Egyptian military is mostly built on US weapons and systems after more than 40 years and billions of dollars of procurement, the sources said, suggesting that, in some cases, their compatibility with non-US weapons could pose a challenge. The two countries have also been co-operating in counter-terrorism, sharing intelligence and conducting joint war games since the 1980s, creating deep bonds between their militaries. US warships are given priority when transiting the Suez Canal and Egypt's airspace is routinely available to US warplanes. Moreover, they point out, the US continues to maintain a presence in the Middle East that, unlike other parts of the world where it faces competition from China and Russia, cannot be replaced by other powers. The Egypt-Israel peace treaty, for example, has been a cornerstone of Middle East stability since it was signed nearly a half century ago. Today, it serves as the guiding light for Washington's efforts to encourage more countries in the region to make peace with Israel. The US also is the only country with enough leverage over Israel to settle its decades-long conflict with the Palestinians, which Arab states, including Egypt, have been beseeching Washington to do for decades. With this in mind, Mr El Sisi has been careful not to antagonise the US President despite strong opposition to his Middle East ideas, always making clear in public comments that Mr Trump alone has what it takes to bring peace and stability to the region. "All this might at the end be no more than a storm in a teacup," said Mr Salem.
Egypt Independent
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Orabi Commends Egypt's Wise Policy under President El-Sisi's Leadership
Egypt's former foreign minister Mohamed Orabi, who is currently the Chairman of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA), commended the wise Egyptian policy under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He noted that the president was keen to invite US President Donald Trump to the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum on July 3.
Saba Yemen
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Israeli aggression in West Bank... Endless violations & international annexation
Sana'a - Saba: The Israeli occupation continues its aggression on the northern West Bank in the governorates of Jenin and Tulkarm for more than a month, and extends its barbaric aggression to Tubasabas, Nablus and the rest of the guarantor controls to extend to Al-Quds in light of an international silence The Israeli aggression on Jenin, its camp, Tulkarm, Tulha, and Nur Shams in the northern West Bank led to the martyrdom of more than 60 Palestinians, the displacement of tens of thousands, and widespread destruction of citizens' property, houses and infrastructure. In this context, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Egypt, Diabouh, warned of the dangerous repercussions of the Israeli aggression in the West Bank, stressing that the will of the Palestinian people and Arab cohesion overthrew the plans and projects aimed at displacement He added during a seminar organized by the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs entitled "The Establishment of the Palestinian State: The Egyptian Vision and Arab Support," that the occupation authorities practice racist and illegal violations in the West Bank, seize land, build settlements and outposts, demolish houses and uproot trees, and let the herds of colonists who engage in orgy and assault on citizens. Al-Loh called on the international community to assume its historical, political , moral responsibilities, to intervene effectively to stop the genocidal war and existential threat to the Palestinians, and to enable them to live a normal, political , human life on their land, in their homeland and in their state committed to international legitimacy. The cities, towns and camps of the West Bank and occupied Al-Quds witness daily raids, arrests and incursions into cities, villages , towns by the occupation forces and settlers. The occupation pursues a policy of displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank by targeting the population, demolishing houses , destroying camps and areas. This Israeli targeting comes after a 15-month-long aggression in Gaza, which led to the displacement of its residents from the north to the south, before the occupation moved to the West Bank more than a month ago to practice this approach. The aggression on Jenin city and its camp entered its 37th consecutive day, leaving more than 27 martyrs, dozens of injuries and arrests, amid widespread destruction of property and infrastructure, while the occupation continues its aggression on Tulkarm city , its camp for the 31st day in a row, and Nur Shams camp for the 18th day, amid military reinforcements and house demolition notices. Palestinian local sources reported that the occupation forces notified late last night of the demolition of 11 houses in Nur Shams camp in the coming days, under the pretext of building a road extending from the camp square towards the Manshiya neighborhood, and gave the owners three hours starting from 8:00 this morning to enter their houses to take their basic necessities. During the ongoing occupation aggression in the northern West Bank, which began in Jenin since January 21, the occupation has escalated the demolition of houses and residential buildings in the city of Jenin and its camp and in Tulkarm and its camps, Tulkarm and Nur Shams. In the past days, more than 26 buildings in Tulkarm camp were demolished and leveled to the ground, carried out by occupation bulldozers within a settlement plan claiming to open a street extending from the Agency area to Al-Balawneh neighborhood and causing serious damage to all the surrounding buildings and facilities. The occupation forces caused complete destruction to the infrastructure in Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps, including electricity, water, sewage and communications networks, and bulldozed more streets and roads, in addition to the complete and partial destruction of property, including houses and shops. The occupation launched its military operation called "Iron Wall" under the pretext of a security threat, imposing a security cordon on Jenin and its camp, Tulkarem, Tulkarm camp and Nur Shams camp. The occupation expanded its aggressive operations to Tubas, Nablus and the rest of the West Bank, with the presence of large numbers of soldiers, military vehicles and bulldozers carrying out extensive bulldozing in the streets of the West Bank cities and camps. In a "show of force," according to analysts, the occupation is preparing for the plan to annex the entire West Bank, as occupation tanks incursion during the past days in the northern West Bank city of Jenin in "Al-Jabriyat" neighborhood overlooking the empty camp of refugees after the occupation forces blew up residential squares, forcing tens of thousands of Palestinians to be forcibly displaced from their houses in a scene that has been absent for more than two decades since the end of the second Palestinian Intifada in 2005. The occupation forces burned a number of houses inside the besieged Jenin camp, which has witnessed in recent weeks the blowing up of residential blocks and the complete destruction of more than 100 houses, which led to the forced displacement of tens of thousands of people from inside the camp. The ongoing Israeli aggression against Jenin and its refugee camp has led to the destruction of infrastructure, the cutting off of electricity and water, extensive bulldozing of streets, the severing of neighborhood ties through checkpoints , earth mounds, and the demolition of dozens of houses. The Palestinian Authority says that the most dangerous aspect of the Israeli military operation is the displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, which coincides with the bulldozing and construction of roads in large areas in the center of the West Bank, which various Palestinian levels liken to the Nitzarim area in the center of Gaza Strip. Analysts believe that by creating a "fait accompli policy," the Zionist entity seeks to liquidate the Palestinian cause, control the West Bank militarily and expand settlements. Analysts also believe that this large-scale aggressive operation in the West Bank under the eyes of the world is a substitute for the failure of the occupation in Gaza. We conclude that the Palestinians and the Arab and Islamic nation must prepare for all eventualities and take Israel's recent statements and actions seriously. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (Reports)
Al-Ahram Weekly
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egyptian, Arab strategists address biased media narratives on Gaza war at Cairo conference - Foreign Affairs
Prominent Egyptian and Arab strategists, politicians, and media experts addressed in a day-long conference titled "Gaza & the Future of Peace and Stability in the Middle East," held on Wednesday, the biased media narratives on the Israeli war on Gaza and the demographic impact of Palestinians' displacement. The conference, organised by the Egyptian Centre for Strategic Studies (ECSS) and the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA), explored Arab-led counter-initiatives and reconstruction plans in response to US-Israeli proposals to displace Palestinians from Gaza. Western media's pro-Israel bias In the third session, "The US Stance on the Gaza War and its Regional Implications," Ezzat Ibrahim, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram Weekly and Head of the ECSS Media and Human Rights Unit, pointed to a clear pro-Israel bias in Western media coverage. Speaking at a panel titled "US Media Bias in Covering the Gaza War: Analysing Key Biases in US Media and the Convergence of US and Israeli Right-Wing Narratives," Ibrahim argued that the Zionist lobby plays a significant role in shaping how the conflict is portrayed. "Since the war began, about 75 percent of articles have framed it as a fight between Hamas and Israel," he noted, pointing out that Israeli events receive far more media attention than the suffering in Gaza. "The conflict is being framed as a battle between two equal sides, with victimhood narratives exaggerated to justify the occupier's actions," he added, criticising the lack of scrutiny toward Israeli religious discourse. He explained how the media crafts a pro-Israel narrative—by labelling Palestinian attacks as "unjustified" to strip them of context and by downplaying or omitting reports on Israeli aggression. Ibrahim stressed the importance of engaging with major news outlets and using social media strategically to promote a more balanced portrayal of the Palestinian cause. Egypt's role in Gaza reconstruction During another panel, Abdel-Moneim Said, Member of the Egyptian Senate and Head of the ECSS Advisory Board, highlighted Egypt's deep experience in crisis management, calling it the key guarantor in any mediation efforts. Speaking at "The Evaluation of US Efforts in Reconstruction Projects as Part of the Peacebuilding Process," Said argued that the two-state solution must remain at the heart of all Arab and international peace efforts. "The US is the 'present absentee' in this crisis, yet it remains a key player in ceasefire agreements," he said, referencing its historical role in managing regional conflicts and ensuring commitments are upheld. The demographic impact of displacement In the fourth session, "Implications of Displacement and Resettlement Plans for Regional Security," Dr. Mohamed Megahed El-Zayat, Academic Adviser at the ECSS, outlined three competing political projects shaping the region. The first, he said, is Israel's push to displace Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank while expanding further into Syria. The second is Turkey's ongoing efforts to alter Syria's demographics. The third is Iran's broader regional ambitions. Meanwhile, Dr Khaled Hanafi, an ECSS expert, described the Middle East as one of the world's hardest-hit regions by forced displacement, with one in three global cases occurring there. Speaking at "The Impact of Demographic Change on Crises in the Middle East," Hanafi explored how displacement fuels ethno-sectarian fragmentation across the region. Gulf security amid displacement plans In another session, "The Impact of Displacement and Resettlement on Security in the Gulf," Dr Hassan Abu Taleb, an ECSS Advisory Board Member, called forced displacement a war crime and stressed the need to focus on both its perpetrators and those enabling it. "The displacement crisis has major security implications for the Gulf," he warned, noting that the region's stability is directly tied to the global economy and international interests. Dr. Abdulaziz bin Othman bin Sager, Founder and Chairman of the Gulf Research Centre, reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's firm rejection of any plans to displace Palestinians, calling such actions a blatant violation of international law and Palestinian rights. "The Kingdom views the two-state solution as the only viable path forward," he said, emphasising Saudi Arabia's steadfast support for Palestinian rights and its opposition to any forced resettlement schemes. Held just days before the Cairo emergency Arab summit on Palestine, the event aims to counter US proposals for forced Palestinian displacement while showcasing successful regional and international post-conflict reconstruction efforts that protect native populations. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Cairo conference on Gaza champions Egyptian, Arab rejection of any Palestinian displacement: Statement
The Gaza & the Future of Peace and Stability in the Middle East Conference, co-sponsored by the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies (ECSS) and the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA) in Cairo, issued a final statement after a busy day of panel discussions that featured a broad spectrum of Egyptian and Arab strategic analysts, politicians, and media figures. The statement stressed that recent proposals to displace the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip should not be viewed solely within the narrow scope of reconstructing Gaza but rather as part of broader attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause - an approach that aligns with Israeli schemes pursued for over eight decades. The statement commended Cairo's firm political stance in rejecting all proposals and attempts to displace the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip. It noted that Cairo views any attempts to displace the Palestinians to the Sinai Peninsula as a red line for the Egyptian state and society. The statement condemned floating displacement plans for trumpeting the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. 'Such plans violate international norms and laws and constitute ethnic cleansing and a crime against humanity that must be prevented and opposed,' the statement read. "Those propagating such plans must be held accountable," it added. Applauding Egypt's plan for Gaza reconstruction The statement commended Egypt's ongoing efforts to formulate a comprehensive project for reconstructing the Gaza Strip without any displacement of the native population. It noted that the Egyptian vision for the reconstruction of the strip would be presented at the upcoming emergency Arab summit, called by Egypt at the request of the Palestinian Authority and set for 4 March in Cairo, to secure collective Arab support for the plan. The statement emphasized that post-war reconstruction and conflict resolution models in various regions worldwide have been based on returning refugees and displaced persons in the native population to their homes. It noted that reconstruction efforts are not fundamentally incompatible with the presence of the native population on their land. The statement praised the US' efforts in reaching the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which paused the 15-month Israeli genocidal war on the strip, while looking forward to a leading role for Washington in solidifying the agreement and pushing forward the Middle East peace process. Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab nations have rejected all recent US/Israeli proposals and schemes for the displacement of the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip, while stressing that the two-state solution is the only guarantee for regional peace and security. Egypt has recently announced that the country possesses the will and capabilities to rebuild the Gaza Strip in three years. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
