Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 12 - The Indian EYE 062725
P. 12

    OPINION                                                                  JUNE 27, 2025     |  The Indian Eye 12

            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

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 |