Egyptian military promotes just US-Israeli interests

-DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL 

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Egyptian military, witnessing uprising in support of Brotherhood and ousted president Mohammad Morsi, is keen to protect its interests which requires the military supporting both Israel and USA and opposing the Palestinians directly. This is the first ever anti-Palestine policy being promoted by the military regime.

Al-Sisi's primary concerns are two-fold: to preserve his grip on power and avoid any confrontation with Israel. In the latter instance, however, he has gone much further than any other in trying to cosy up to the Israelis. In his desire to reciprocate for the Israelis' support and lobbying on his behalf in western capitals, Al-Sisi is going to great lengths to victimize and humiliate the people of Gaza.

Egyptian military has always been in contact with the Pentagon and Israeli military establishment for terror goods deals. US intelligence has played mischief with Egypt's military elite since 1952, Al-Sisi, like Nasser, is a prototype to be used in the shady Game of Nations. In Nasser's time the west needed a certain type of Arab leader who could rant about Israel and imperialism. Today, a different type of figurehead is needed by the west, not to champion the Palestinian cause and confront Israel but to normalize relations with the Zionist state and subvert Palestinian resistance. 

Military propaganda machinery in Egypt tries to compare Nasser and general Sisi, knowing fully well that both are different  basically in mindset and approaches to Palestine because  it wants to retain the illegal regime. .Sisi is certainly no Gamal Abdel Nasser who used censorship and state propaganda routinely to discredit enemies and justify harsh punishment.

True, Al-Sisi, like Nasser, relied heavily on propaganda to consolidate the military rule. For his USA and Israel are the real bosses.

Sisi wants to be seen as a double agent of CIA-Mossad.  Whatever his shortcomings and miscalculations, Nasser seemed to put Egypt's interests first. When the Americans and British started discussions in March 1953 about the formation of a Middle East Defense Organisation (MEDO) along the lines of NATO, Nasser dismissed it out of hand.

Sisi is not patriot, but now anti-Egypt general who exists only to promote only himself. Al-Sisi's vendetta has extended from Muslim Brotherhood to a large swathe of the Egyptian population. Approach of the general towards Israel positive and his support for the Palestinian people is too harsh.

Sisi cannot exist without resorting to repression and propaganda. Supporters of the July 2013 coup which toppled Morsi are not the only ones to sing Al-Sisi's praises. In Israel, he is celebrated with such passion that The Times of Israel warned on Monday that the creation of a Nasser-type personality cult around Al-Sisi is not in Israel's best interest. Since Nasser had an image of being the historic enemy of Israel among many Arabs, the newspaper warned it would be dangerous to cultivate such a figure in today's climate of regional uncertainty.

However,  personal  liking and image building  have been the hall mark of Egyptian rulers and they  could not make Egypt strong. Sisi is a part of the selfish link. During those early days, Nasser's Revolutionary Command Council drew up one list of media correspondents, foreign and local, who could be trusted and another of those who could not be trusted. Inevitably, they favored the former. 

Even the Israeli media describe the relationship between Israel-Egypt under military rule as even stronger than that at the time of Hosni Mubarak. It is logical that a strong and secure Palestine would be the first line of defence for Egypt's national security. Although Nasser did not deliver on his promises to liberate Palestine, he never saw himself as an enemy of the Palestinian people, in whole or part. By its actions against the Gaza Strip, Al-Sisi's coup regime has done just the opposite. 

Sisi has, for all practical purposes, joined forces with Israel against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, something that Nasser or Mubarak never did. For this reason, Al-Sisi is in a league of his own and is putting Egypt's security on the line for Israel.

Both USA and Israel are using military regime in Cairo in their own advantages.  A self serving  military general suits them  to play the way they prefer with the besieged Palestinians.