U.S. Interests and Security

The departure of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the country’s shift towards democracy marks the loss of a key U.S. ally in the Arab world. Mubarak could be relied upon by the United States for cooperation in regional politics and counter-terrorism. So as odd as it may seem, democracy in Egypt may be a bad thing for the United States. Any representative government would give greater influence to the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest fundamentalist Islamic group in Egypt, as well as other anti-Mubarak forces that would oppose the former president’s pro-American policies. However, the United States does give roughly $1.3 billion to the Egyptian military annually, and this sum of defense money may maintain stable relations with a new Egyptian government.  -Holland McCabe ‘11

Arab World

The recent revolution in Egypt is creating a domino-effect for many other Arab countries run by autocrats in the Middle East, stirring up political instability throughout the region. Tunisia was the catalyst. After nearly a month of political turmoil and uprisings, Tunisia’s long-time president Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on January 15. In Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh will not permit open and fair elections and is facing multiple public demonstrations demanding his immediate resignation. In Jordan, King Abdullah II sacked his own government in an attempt to appease protestors. Protest marches also began this week in countries such as Algeria, Iran and Bahrain in response to the successful revolution in Egypt. Autocratic leaders in the Middle East beware—a revolution in your country may be already in the makings. -Jessica Golding ‘11

Israel

Egypt and Israel have never been friends. Since Israel’s creation in 1948 the two have fought each other four times. Finally in 1979, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israel Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed a peace treaty to end the violence; however that does not mean the two nations like each other. Mubarak held up the peace treaty for 30 years, but the Egyptian people do not have a favorable view of Israel. If the new Egyptian government rejects the treaty, sparks will fly in the Sinai Desert and Israel will lose its first Arab “ally.” -Jacob Bogage ‘12