Page 11 - The Indian EYE 062725

OPINION JUNE 27, 2025 | The Indian Eye 11

try aside from Israel that has a border Economic Zone. On 22 April, Egypt
with Gaza, yet President Sisi has re- and China conducted their first joint
fused to give Palestinian refugees dis- air force drills dubbed ‘Eagles of Civi-
placed by Israel asylum in his country, lization 2025’. Egypt is reportedly also
by calling the US–Israeli suggestion to evincing interest in acquiring China’s
this effect a “red line” that, if crossed, J-35 fifth generation stealth fighter,
would “liquidate the Palestinian indicating a potential shift in its mil-
cause”. On the one hand, Egypt does itary procurement away from the
not want to be seen in the Arab world United States.
as party to Israel in supporting the so- In a dramatic turnaround, Sisi
called “ethnic cleansing” of Gazans. has also made friends with one of his
At the same time, Egypt also worst critics in Turkish President Re-
fears that by giving Gazans asylum, cep Tayyip Erdogan. Egypt–Turkey
elements of Hamas (an offshoot of relations had deteriorated after the
Muslim Brotherhood that is banned ousting of Egyptian President Mo-
in Egypt) could set up a new base in- hamed Morsi in 2013 in a coup by the
side its territory for launching terrorist then General Sisi. In fact, Erdogan
operations against Israel. This would had sworn never to meet Sisi and had
provide Israel the justification to con- called his takeover a coup, which re-
duct military strikes inside Egyptian sulted in the two countries expelling
territory, in the name of counter-ter- each other’s ambassadors.
rorism operations. In fact, President However, Qatar played a signifi-
Sisi has only recently achieved success cant role in recent years to bring the
in clamping down on Islamist insur- two sides together and relations have
gents in northern Sinai region after vastly improved in the wake of their
several years, and does not want the growing anti-Israeli stance over the
victory to go to waste by bringing in Gaza crisis. Egypt and Turkiye may
Hamas elements along with Gazan still have differences over Libya, but
refugees into Sinai. they seem to stand together when it
comes to Ethiopia over the GERD
BEN GURION WATERWAY: (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam)
ISRAEL’S ALTERNATIVE TO project on the Blue Nile,[30] Ankara
SUEZ CANAL is also not averse to Cairo backing
the Islamist Sudanese Armed Forces
gypt also opposes Israel’s al- (SAF), which is opposed to US allies
leged plan to permanently ex- like the UAE that back the rival Rap-
Epel Palestinians from Gaza in id Support Forces (RSF).[31]
light of the news that Netanyahu gov- Egypt’s rapprochement with Tur-
ernment is planning to dig up a chan- route of a highly expensive Israeli ca- portant economic and defence-re- kiye and initial stages of a prospec-
nel (named as the Ben Gurion Canal) nal project, the bypassing of the Suez lated deals with China, Russia and a tive thaw with even Iran is happening
as an alternative to the Suez Canal, Canal by Israel’s own waterway would more Islamist Turkiye. Thus, Egypt when Shia and Sunni terrorist groups,
which would join the Red Sea through itself deal a body blow to Egypt’s vi- has been steadily expanding its trade namely the Houthis and Salafi-jihad-
the Israeli port city of Eilat on the tal economic and strategic interests. and investment ties with Russia, and ist Al-Shabaab, are increasing their
Gulf of Aqaba to Ashkelon coast on These apprehensions recently peaked is reportedly reducing its reliance on collaboration across the Red Sea,
the Mediterranean Sea. It has been when it was alleged by Arab media US dollar transactions. Russia is help- and have entered into a pact on in-
reported that Israel on 2 April 2021 commentators that Saudi Arabia is ing Egypt build on its soil a joint in- telligence and security matters. Thus,
had announced plans to begin work forcing Egypt into accepting the pres- dustrial zone named Sun City, which Egypt, Turkiye and Iran are increasing
on the Ben Gurion Canal. ence of military bases on the two stra- will provide for special incentives to their combined influence around the
In order to understand Egypt’s tegically important islands of Tiran Russian companies. Again, Russia Horn of Africa that could potentially
unease over the building of an alter- and Sanafir, which lie at the southern is a significant supplier of defence have significant impact on the security
nate waterway bypassing the Suez Ca- entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba, where equipment and weapons to Egypt and of the globe’s vital maritime and naval
nal, it is noteworthy that the Red Sea Israel’s Eilat port is located. is also constructing a nuclear power chokepoints.
forks into two gulfs—the western Gulf It is important to note here that in plant for the Arab state. Russian tour- Dr Adil Rasheed is Research Fellow
of Suez leading to the Suez Canal and 2016, Egypt ceded the two islands of ists throng Egyptian tourism sites and (Selection Scale) and Coordinator of
then the northeastern arm of Red Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia, in have reported an increase by 45 per the Counter Terrorism Centre at the
Sea, called the Gulf of Aqaba, east spite of massive public protests within cent this summer. Manohar Parrikar Institute for Strategic
of Sinai Peninsula and the west of the the country against the decision, in ex- However, the US is particularly Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA).
Arabian Peninsula. Its coastline is di- change for Riyadh’s promised aid and disturbed by Egypt’s growing relations
vided among four countries—Egypt, investment. That controversy has re- with China, which expands to multiple The full version of this article first ap-
Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. It is vived again with a group of 57 lawyers domains, including economics, diplo- peared in the Comments section of the
on the northernmost tip of the Gulf of filing a petition in an Egyptian court macy and defence. In fact, China has website (www.idsa.in) of Manohar Par-
Aqaba that Israel has its only port on over their government’s 2016 decision been Egypt’s largest trading partner rikar Institute for Defence Studies and
the Red Sea, the Port of Eilat, which to transfer the sovereignty of the Red for several years and the two coun- Analyses, New Delhi, on June 15, 2025
has recently been the target of many Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. tries recently celebrated their “golden Views expressed are of the author and
Houthi missiles. In the wake of such public unrest, decade” of comprehensive strategic do not necessarily reflect the views of
Notwithstanding Arab media al- Egypt appears to be gradually moving partnership. China’s rising investment
legations that Gaza is being evacuated away from its erstwhile allies—the and industrial collaboration is partic- the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
Government of India.
to use the territory for shortening the US and Israel—and is forging im- ularly noteworthy in the Suez Canal

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