# Why doesn't Egypt assist Gaza (or do they?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 31, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534 "2014-07-31T23:13:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/21 "2014-08-01T05:14:49Z")
> [@OurLordPeace](#): > > Oh, and regarding Krauthammer: He’s both Jewish and a Zionist (which are not one and the same), If being “Jewish” and “a Zionist” aren’t the same thing, then why do you feel the need to bring up the fact that he is Jewish? So what? When George Will is mentioned, do you feel the need to tell us that he is an Episcopalian? ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/22 "2014-08-01T05:22:24Z")
> [@OurLordPeace](#): > > [www.antiwar.com](http://www.antiwar.com) [antiwar.com](http://antiwar.com) was founded by and headed by a truther so it’s hardly what I would call “reliable”, nor do I think that any serious intellectuals would view them as such. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/23 "2014-08-01T11:25:39Z")
[See here.](http://us.cnn.com/2014/07/31/world/meast/israel-gaza-region/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) > [@](#): > > “The Israel-Hamas conflict has laid bare the new divides of the Middle East,” says Danielle Pletka, vice president of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. “It’s no longer the Muslims against the Jews. Now it’s the extremists – the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hezbollah, and their backers Iran, Qatar and Turkey – against Israel and the more moderate Muslims including Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.” > “It’s a proxy war for control or dominance in the Middle East,” says CNN’s Fareed Zakaria. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/24 "2014-08-01T11:36:01Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > the more moderate Muslims […] Saudi Arabia Something doesn’t compute :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/25 "2014-08-01T11:44:40Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Something doesn’t compute :dubious: I know, it sounds weird to me, too. But it seems that the biggest threat to the Saudi regime comes from even more extreme Islamic groups, which places SA in the more moderate camp by default. All the Saudis want to do is make money selling oil. Religious radicalism gets in the way. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/26 "2014-08-01T13:11:57Z")
Turkey being described as on the extremist side and Saudi Arabia on the moderate side blows my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/27 "2014-08-01T13:14:00Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Nor is the first time there’s been such squabbling. If you ever read a well-done non-propogandistic book about the 1948 War, you’ll notice that when the Arab armies invaded they were more jockeying for position against their rivals then trying to wipe out the Jews. This is, in fact, a large part of the reason why they lost. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/28 "2014-08-01T13:19:08Z")
" the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hezbollah, and their backers Iran, Qatar and Turkey" Turkey? I’d been under the impression that up to about 4 years ago Israel and Turkey were on reasonably good grounds. I understand the Gaza blockade run incident and Erdoğan’s pandering to the zealots has strained it but I hadn’t been aware of them funding any of the above factions. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/29 "2014-08-01T13:19:42Z")
The fact is that the current Egyptian government is delighted to have the Hamas wing of the Muslim Brotherhood hammered by the Israelis, even more delighted to see Israel taking 100% of the public blame for the Gaza blockade, and yet _more_ delighted to have all parties (save Hamas) looking to Egypt as an important ‘honest broker’ to work out negotiations. The worse things get in Gaza, the less you will hear from Washington about how the current Egyptian goverment came into power after a coup overthrew the elected Muslim Brotherhood government. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/30 "2014-08-01T13:31:56Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > " the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hezbollah, and their backers Iran, Qatar and Turkey" > > Turkey? I’d been under the impression that up to about 4 years ago Israel and Turkey were on reasonably good grounds. I understand the Gaza blockade run incident and Erdoğan’s pandering to the zealots has strained it but I hadn’t been aware of them funding any of the above factions. My theory is that the real source of tensions between Israel and Turkey isn’t about “Islamicism” or even the Palistinian thing - though those sure don’t help - but a much more prosaic reason that has largely gone unnoticed in the press: that these nations are squabbling over access to a gigantic potential reserve of natural gas under the Med. For example, Israel has made (not-Turkish) Cyprus an ally, largely to gain access to its share of this reserve. The significance of this may be huge. Remember that Putin’s lock on Europe is largely the result of his ability to control the flow of natural gas to Europeans. What if an alternative source was in the hands of the Israelis - or Turks? The difficulty of course is in distribution. Israel needs to be able to export its gas to sell it, and that means being on good terms with at least some of its neighbours. > **[Israel Is About to Become the Middle East’s Next Energy Powerhouse](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2014/02/israels-natural-gas-deposits-tel-avivs-offshore-gas-fields-will-make-it-the-middle-easts-newest-energy-exporter.html)** > > It wasn’t long ago that Israel’s oil and gas industry was the territory of wishful thinkers like John Brown, a born-again Christian from Texas who saw... The sensible thing of course would be for the Turks and Israelis to bury the hatchet and come to terms. [http://www.timesofisrael.com/turkish-cypriot-fm-sees-bright-future-for-israel-relations/#](http://www.timesofisrael.com/turkish-cypriot-fm-sees-bright-future-for-israel-relations/#)! The problem is that people in the ME are not known for taking the sensible path … ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/31 "2014-08-01T13:44:55Z")
The days of Turkey being a voice of secular moderation in the ME deserving of NATO membership are long gone. Turkey is quickly becoming a less visible Iran. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/32 "2014-08-01T14:17:17Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > If being “Jewish” and “a Zionist” aren’t the same thing, then why do you feel the need to bring up the fact that he is Jewish? Because it means he can move to Israel as **OurLordPeace** urges, and I second the motion. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/33 "2014-08-01T14:21:18Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What? It’s **all over** the news! Google “ISIS”! You must be joking if you think ISIS is getting the same press as Gaza - let alone press in proportion to its actual relative significance as a world event, number of casualties, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/34 "2014-08-01T14:25:33Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Because it means he can move to Israel as **OurLordPeace** urges, and I second the motion. In short, it is part of an elaborate ad-hom. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/35 "2014-08-01T16:31:22Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > [See here.](http://us.cnn.com/2014/07/31/world/meast/israel-gaza-region/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) Its much like how moderate Republicans will soon be siding with Moderate democrats against the Tea Party crazies. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/36 "2014-08-05T00:00:13Z")
What do you think would happen if Egypt opened the border tomorrow to a normal flow of goods? Hamas would immediately begin importing/smuggling arms and other military supplies. If that were to happen, there’s two options: (1) Israel reoccupies the Rafah crossing. (2) Egypt becomes responsible for inspecting goods moving into Gaza There is no way Israel would allow a normal border situation between Gaza and Rafah because they view it as a threat to their security. So let’s say Egypt chooses (2). At this point, they’ve done a couple things. The first is that they have clearly placed themselves on the side of Israel against Hamas/Palestinians. The second is that they’ve made themselves indirectly responsible for attacks on Israel using weapons/supplies imported through Egypt. Neither of those things are in Egypt’s interest. Realistically, the end result of Rafah being completely opened by Egypt is a partial or total occupation of Gaza by Israel. Hamas doesn’t want that. Egypt doesn’t want that. Israel, of course, doesn’t want that. So the border remains closed. Plus, as others have said, Egypt doesn’t like Hamas anymore than Israel does. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534/37 "2014-08-05T03:44:08Z")
Here’s an indication just how much Hamas is hated by Saudis et al: > **[Saudi Grand Mufti Issues Fatwa against Solidarity Marches with Gaza](https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/08/135880/saudi-grand-mufti-issues-fatwa-against-solidarity-marches-with-gaza/)** > > Fez - A fatwa has been issued against pro-Gaza marches by a Saudi cleric who says that demonstration Fez- A fatwa has been issued against pro-Gaza marches by a Saudi cleric who says that demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians “are just useless demagogic actions.” According to Al Ghadeer TV, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti said that the pro-Gaza demonstrations “are just useless demagogic actions, that won’t help Palestinians.” “Demagoguery does not work. It is just an exaggeration,” he added. This is unprecedented. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-egypt-assist-gaza-or-do-they/694534.md?page=1)