Egypt Wary Of New Role As Gaza Border Cop

by Adam Morrow

(IPS) CAIRO -- Egyptians are still trying to make sense of the political implications of the dramatic evacuation of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip.

While many are gratified to see the departure of Israeli soldiers and settlers from occupied land, others see Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's controversial withdrawal plan as a scheme aimed at military consolidation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

"Most Egyptians are suspicious," says Magdy Samaan, a journalist with the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm. "While there's relief that the Gaza issue is finally coming to an end, many observers remain concerned about the future of Jerusalem."

Given Egypt's territorial connection with the Gaza Strip's southern frontier (it shares a 12km border with the newly liberated territory), its fate is geo-strategically tied to the pullout. Cairo will be expected to police the border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, which the Israelis allege is a popular transit point for weapons smuggled into the Palestinian territory.

Israel Radio reported Aug. 15 that Cairo and Tel Aviv had reached an understanding allowing for the deployment of 750 Egyptian police to the border area, considered a demilitarized zone under the 1979 Camp David peace agreement.

Under the agreement, reached during a visit to Cairo by a high-ranking Israeli military delegation, Israel will eventually withdraw from the border, although an exact date has not been set. Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz was quoted as saying that Israel hopes to vacate the Philadelphi route by the end of the year.

According to an Egyptian security official quoted in an Aug. 20 press report by UPI, some 350 troops have already arrived in the area, with the numbers scheduled to reach 750 within the coming week. He added that these forces would eventually be equipped with light weapons.

While some express anxiety that Cairo might find itself dragged into an eventual conflict with militant resistance groups inside the Gaza Strip, analysts point to Egypt's responsibility to police its borders regardless of the political situation on the other side.

Certain elements within the Israeli establishment, meanwhile, have expressed a disinclination to cede control of the corridor, even post-withdrawal.

Israeli daily Haaretz reported Aug. 16 that three retired major-generals, speaking before the Knesset foreign affairs and defense committee, criticized the understanding for not including commitments by Egypt to prevent arms smuggling into the territory. One of them was quoted by Haaretz as saying that Cairo was exploiting the situation to increase its armed forces in the Sinai, which were limited by the Camp David peace treaty.

An Egyptian analyst points out that the deployment of 750 border guards is allowable under the accord's current form. "It's the maximum number allowed under the treaty," Emad Gad, an expert on Israeli affairs at the state-run Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies told IPS. "More than this would have entailed changes to the articles of the agreement."

Meanwhile, Arabic language media coverage of the Gaza Strip withdrawal has been varied, reflecting differing interpretations -- victorious, cynical and optimistic -- of the significance of the move.

"Some analysts and journalists portray the pullout as a strategic victory for the Palestinians who should therefore continue the resistance against Israeli occupation in other territories," Gad said. "Others view it as a kind of trap by Sharon, whose end goal is the annexation of most of the West Bank."

Gad explained that a more moderate approach taken by the majority of Arabic-language media has portrayed the withdrawal as a positive step for both Palestinians and Israelis, and as the result of pressure from the international community, including U.S. pressure on Sharon. This view, Gad says is "the most rational understanding of what's happening."

Egyptian dailies such as the government-run Al-Ahram and the independent Al-Masry Al-Youm have both featured sober, straightforward coverage of the pullout on their front pages, which were otherwise dominated by news about impending national elections.

But regardless of how the development is presented in the media, many people sound cynical. "The whole thing is one big set-up," said a Cairo-based graphic designer. "Ultimately, it's aimed at Israeli consolidation of the West Bank and Jerusalem."

Ihab Hamdy, managing director of a private, Cairo-based business research company sounded just as doubtful. "It's good that the Israelis have left some Palestinian territory, but I fear the Gaza Strip will be Tel Aviv's final concession, and that they'll never withdraw from the West Bank."

Others think the pullout presents an opportunity to reactivate the peace process, which has foundered since the election of Sharon's hard-line Likud government and the outbreak of the second Intifadah (Palestinian militant uprising) in late 2000.

"This withdrawal shows there's still hope for peace," said Tamer Azzam, a waiter at a popular restaurant in Cairo. "Of course, as Egyptians we're happy to see the Palestinians getting some of their land back."