Why are the Egyptian coup's leaders tampering with an agreement that would benefit Gaza?

Everything about Egypt’s position seems to have been turned upside down when it comes to the Palestinian cause these days. Cairo’s position towards Palestine is completely unjustified as the current Egyptian leadership was responsible for an illegitimate coup that overthrew a democratically elected government. And yet, the current Egyptian government swears day and night that all its actions are justified!

The current regime governs Egypt contrary to how it should and understands matters in conflict of what they actually are. This regime’s speeches and statements are based on skewed facts as when someone is defeated they will always view those beneath them as superior and vice versa. Those who are defeated sees an enemy as their friend and a friend as their enemy.

As much as it may seem that my interpretation is somewhat humorous, what it actually portrays is underlying bitterness. For decades, Egypt has tirelessly defended Palestine and the Palestinian people’s rights. More importantly, the Levant as a whole has historically signed countless treaties with Egypt. Their alliance has always been as essential as the heart or liver is to the human body as they have shared the same fate and interests.

Egypt and the Levant have long shared historically significant geographic interests and in more recent decades, a common history, language, religion, culture and geography. If anyone tried to discount or deny this they would be viewing things in a defeated manner with a skewed understanding of reality.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Sisi’s coup was an illegitimate political act which did not only affect Egypt and put an end to the democratic process; the coup was an infringement on the Arab right to democracy as a whole. The coup succeeded in suffocating all Arab rights and was a coup against the main Arab cause: the Palestinian issue.

Egyptian attitudes towards the war on Gaza endorse that these are more than mere allegations. On the contrary, the ruling government in Egypt sided with Netanyahu and his propaganda campaign that stemmed from the heart of Tel Aviv itself. The Egyptian media portrayed a sickening bias throughout the events in Gaza. The incitement against the Palestinians reached a point where even Israelis began to complain that it was hurting Cairo’s chances of successfully mediating a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

Israel tired from the war this time despite the claims of stubborn Israeli politicians who refused to admit to the fact that they were unable to conquer Gaza. The Israeli leadership refused to admit to this bitter fact, however, they cannot deny that they must revisit entire issue calmly and rationally. Israel has been forced to face the new reality of their situation as Tel Aviv faces unexpected resistance from the Gaza Strip.

The Egyptians also has other scores to settle, such as the targeting of Hamas who are ideologically linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest opponent to Egypt’s military coup. The Egyptian government feared that the Israeli government would agree to Palestinian conditions concerning airports and ports, which would in turn leave Egypt out of the equation entirely.

In the aftermath of the coup the leadership in Cairo has become intransigent in its position towards the Palestinian delegation, particularly the resistance who seek to limit Cairo’s influence over mediating Palestinian issues.

A recent Palestinian tweet expressed the enormity of these potential implications for Egypt, “In the event we are given our right to the airport and ports, I suggest that we all gather at the Rafah border (the Gaza-Egyptian border) and proceed to spit on all the guards there. We can then return to Gaza, for we will no longer need this suffocating crossing”.

Yes, the Palestinians in Gaza’s decision to spit at the crossing, and its guards, demonstrates the frustration caused by years of Palestinian humiliation and oppression. The Palestinian situation has been exacerbated by Egypt’s position since the Hosni Mubarak era.

Although the airport and the ports will not serve as a final solution for the people of the Gaza Strip, as Israel will continue to suffocate the military and naval patrol of the area, the Palestinian access to these outlets will undermine Cairo’s, albeit temporarily. Should this happen, it will be yet another serious blow to the coup after Erdogan’s victory in Turkey, Israel’s defeat in Gaza, the successful democratic experiment in Tunisia and finally Haftar’s defeat in Libya. It is these events that could be the wind that blows away the final remnants of the coup.

Translated from Al Jazeera net, 13 August, 2014

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.