US weakness & inability to protect Mubarak heralds demise of regional influence

A leading Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, has warned that the trial of former Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, and the status he was reduced to after its first session, will have “negative consequences” on US relations with Arab leaders. It also forecasts the end of Western influence in the region.

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In its August 4th edition, the newspaper stated on its website that the trial images of a person who was until recently considered the most powerful man in Egypt, have surprised many across the world. Mubarak was seen lying on a stretcher in the docks. However, what is more important is the negative impact of the trial on Washington’s relations with other Arab despots who now realise the US will not be able to save them from a similar fate in the event of escalating uprisings in their countries.
 
The paper quoted Israeli expert, Eytan Gilboa, as saying that there is a link between the trial of the ousted Egyptian President and the demise of the Western influence across the entire Middle East. He said the fact that the US did not crystallize their position during the Egyptian revolution indicates severe and continued weakness in US policies.
 
Gilboa, who previously held senior positions in the Israeli government, said that had the US been in a stronger position, it would have been able to prevent the trial of its ally. He stressed that a superpower that is not functioning is considered weak in this part of the world.
 
Gilboa warned about the implications of Washington’s deteriorating power for Israel’s security, asserting that with the decline of America’s power, Israeli deterrence recedes, putting peace treaties between Tel Aviv and Arab countries ‘in danger.’
 
According to Gilboa, the current situation requires that Arab states search out a new regional power citing Egypt’s orientation toward building relations with Tehran and Hamas as proof of this.