Sentiments in the North African country vary as some, including the president of the country, Abdel Fattah El Sisi, have expressed zero worries about the conflict in the Middle East, while some can’t help but sound the warning bells.
The attitude of the Egyptian president, who stated during an iftar gathering on the second day of the Israeli/Iran war, that “No one, by the grace of God, dares touch this country,” is being held onto by some in the region.
However, some analysts have deduced that Israel’s campaign for an advantageous political standing in the Middle East and North African region (Mena) would eventually bring the country to the doorstep of Egypt.
As seen on The National, Israeli leaders are now hammering on the idea of realising a “greater Israel,” with biblical borders, spanning the Egyptian Nile to Asia’s Euphrates.
“We are the only ones now left in Israel’s way,” the analyst stated, also disclosing that securing a military presence along the Red Sea coast of southern Egypt could be Israel’s next play.
“That will be a big problem for us because we will never accept the presence of Israel or Ethiopia on the Red Sea,” he stated, referencing Israel’s recognition of the breakaway Red Sea region of Somaliland and attempts by landlocked Ethiopia to secure access to the strategic waterway.
Per the opinion of another analyst, Egyptians who stand with Iran and are upset by any Israeli victory are unaware of the dangers ahead.
“The simple Egyptian stands with his heart and mind on Iran’s side; saddened by any victory for Israel and realising that its might is a danger to all,” said Egyptian analyst Anwar El Hawary.
On Sunday, Egypt’s Defence Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Lt Gen Ashraf Zaher, reviewed the Central Military Region’s combat preparedness as part of efforts to ensure all formations were prepared in light of regional events, according to a military spokesperson.
Historical conflict between Israel and Egypt
The conflict began in 1948, when Egypt joined other Arab states in opposing the establishment of Israel.
Egyptian soldiers advanced through Gaza into the Negev, ushering in a confrontation that would shape regional politics for decades.
Less than a decade later, tensions rose again during the 1956 Suez Crisis, when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal.
Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula, working with Britain and France, but international pressure compelled them to retreat.
The dispute heated up further in 1967, in what is today known as the Six-Day War, when Israel conducted a preemptive strike that damaged Egypt’s air force and resulted in the swift takeover of the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza.
The defeat was a strategic and psychological setback to Cairo.
Determined to take back that loss, Egypt fought Israel in the War of Attrition around the Suez Canal before staging a surprise attack in October 1973 in a war known as the Yom Kippur War.
Egyptian forces successfully crossed the canal and penetrated Israeli positions in Sinai, restoring Arab confidence despite the war’s eventual military stalemate.
