ONE of the many disappointing aspects of Israel’s war in Gaza has been the almost complete lack of practical support from many nations in the Arab world for the Palestinians.

Perhaps one of the quietest Arab voices is Egypt — a country widely seen being under “manners” from the United States. This is no real surprise when understanding that trade between Egypt and Israel is now at unprecedented levels.

Official data clearly shows that Israeli gas exports to Egypt exceed billions of dollars, while Egyptian exports of agricultural and industrial products to Tel Aviv are soaring.

Trade volume between Israel and Egypt topped a value of £26 million in June 2024, an increase on the previous year of nearly 30 per cent — even as the Israelis pounded the Palestinians in Gaza.

Egyptian exports to Israel doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

The supply of natural gas to Egypt has shown a sharp increase in the past year and shows no sign of slowing.

Natural gas is the cornerstone of Israel’s trade to Egypt to the tune of billions of dollars. Over the years Egypt has become highly dependent on Israel for its gas supply as its own production has dropped.

It’s not just natural gas of course. Dozens of Egyptian companies are involved in trade with Israel, including Fresh Electric, Evergrow, Kandil Glass, Misr Chemicals, Samsung Electronics Egypt, and Raya Foods.

For Egypt trade trumps the Israeli genocide of the Palestinians.

Egyptians wanting to demonstrate their support for the Palestinians are simply not allowed.

Unauthorised protests lead to arrest and potentially long prison terms. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations are simply not allowed. The regime of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi does not bluff on these matters and will act in the most brutal way to maintain order.

Sisi gave a speech earlier this year where he made it clear that he believed the decade-old peace accord between Egypt and Israel should be seen as a model for the entire region.

If Egypt or the other Arab nations had any sort of conscience over the disaster that is facing the Palestinians it really is hard to see it.

They all appear more concerned with not allowing the disgust that many within the region feel about the plight of the Palestinians turning into uprisings against their regimes.

They have every reason to be concerned. It can’t be beyond the bounds of possibility that another version of the so-called Arab Spring of 2010 could be sparked by the inaction of the (mis)leaders in the region.

The suppression of Arab political activity and public opinion did not just begin after October 7 2023. It began as the ruling classes and the United States hegemon took the necessary steps to regain control after the Arab Spring.

The Arab Spring gave hope to a new generation that things could change. But ultimately it failed because Arab regimes, with the support of the US and its Western poodles, won back control of the region and brought the vibrant movement to a standstill.

Aside from its complete lack of support for the Palestinians it is also clear that Egypt is also genuinely concerned about the expansionist intentions of Israel.

Far-right Israeli politicians — of which there are plenty — have expressed their desire to extend Israeli borders to create a “Greater Israel.”

Fears over the creation of a Greater Israel have turned the border region with Egypt into a highly militarised zone.

My information is that the military build-up on the Egyptian side is massive and just one of the reasons that the Freedom Flotilla attempting to pass through Egypt to reach Gaza to provide even symbolic humanitarian aid to the Palestinians was halted.

When Israeli troops finally embarked on the ground offensive into the Rafah border area on May 7, Cairo’s public reaction was swift and furious.

Unnamed Egyptian officials went so far as to say that the Israeli action could endanger the 1979 peace accord between the countries.

Other officials even warned that the offensive could damage diplomatic ties between Egypt and Israel.

Then Egypt’s Foreign Ministry put out a statement that it would join South Africa’s “genocide” case against Israel in the International Court of Justice.

Egypt also halted co-ordination for aid trucks to pass from its territory into Gaza, insisting that the other side of the Rafah crossing be under Palestinian control before it resumes deliveries.

Then, after the performance was over, so were the threats.

The angry declarations from Egypt were entirely performative, but do not signal any kind of break in ties with Israel.

But they do reflect deep concerns in Egypt about being able to maintain any kind of credibility as an Arab leader as the slaughter in Gaza shows no sign of slowing, never mind stopping.

The bottom line is that Egypt’s approach to the fighting in Gaza is driven by its core interest of economic, security and regional stability.

On top of those challenges, Egypt has also seen around 100,000 Gazans enter the country as refugees since the war started.

The situation at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza doesn’t make the economic situation easier for the Egyptians.

With the El-Arish to Rafah corridor providing a significant portion of aid flowing into Gaza, the Egyptian government was making money by charging processing fees on every shipment.

But it was Cairo that decided to halt aid shipments once Israel hoisted its flag on the Gaza side of the crossing.

Centrally, Egypt wants to prevent Gazan refugees from getting across the border into the Sinai, adding hundreds of thousands of mouths to feed and allowing Hamas resistance fighters to link up with Salafi and Muslim Brotherhood terrorists.

In geographic terms Egypt remains an important player because of its control of the Suez Canal — a real money-spinner for the Egyptians. But Israel wants to create its own route, the Ben Gurion Canal.

A canal controlled by Israel would be a direct threat to the authority of Egypt not just in the region but also on the international stage.
Egypt undoubtedly faces internal and external pressures in how it responds to the crisis in Gaza.

But, it has prioritised profits over standing up for the Palestinians. A choice it will have to live with in years to come — and may be forced to account for eventually by its own people.