Egypt’s parliament votes in support of expelling Israel’s ambassador

[jimmy olsen]

Definitely not what you would call a good sign of things to come.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/egypts-islamist-dominated-parliament-votes-in-support-of-expelling-israels-ambassador/2012/03/12/gIQA9Qfh7R_story.html

Egypt's Islamist-dominated parliament votes in support of expelling Israel's ambassador

By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, March 13, 4:21 AM

CAIRO — Egypt's Islamist-dominated parliament unanimously voted on Monday in support of expelling Israel's ambassador in Cairo and halting gas exports to the Jewish state.

The motion is largely symbolic, because only the ruling military council can make such decisions, and it is not likely to impact Egypt's relations with Israel. But it signals the seismic change in Egypt after the ouster of longtime leader and Israel ally Hosni Mubarak a year ago in a popular uprising that ended his 29 years in power.

The vote was taken by a show of hands on a report by the chamber's Arab affairs committee that declared Egypt will "never" be a friend, partner or ally of Israel. The report described Israel as the nation's "number one enemy" and endorsed what it called Palestinian resistance "in all its kinds and forms" against Israel's "aggressive policies."

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the vote by the People's Assembly, the Egyptian parliament's lower house.

Egypt became the first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. The treaty came six years after the two Middle East neighbors fought the last of their four wars. However, the accord produced a "cold" peace, and most Egyptians still view Israel as their nation's enemy.

There have been bouts of tension in relations between the two neighbors, mostly over Israel's perceived reluctance to proceed in good faith with peace talks with the Palestinians, but leaders of the two nations have consistently kept open channels of communication.

The parliamentary report also called for the recall of Egypt's ambassador in Israel and a revision of Egypt's nuclear power policy in view of the widespread suspicion that Israel has a nuclear arsenal of its own.

"Revolutionary Egypt will never be a friend, partner or ally of the Zionist entity (Israel), which we consider to be the number one enemy of Egypt and the Arab nation," said the report. "It will deal with that entity as an enemy, and the Egyptian government is hereby called upon to review all its relations and accords with that enemy."

Monday's vote by parliament could serve as an indication of what may lie ahead.

The Islamists who dominate the 508-seat chamber, as well as the largely powerless upper house, would like to see the president's wide executive powers curtailed in the country's next constitution, while boosting those of the legislature.

If they have their way, statements like Monday's could impact on relations with Israel.

The parliament's vote could also give the generals who succeeded Mubarak an added incentive to keep the office of the president as the nation's most powerful institution and ensure that Egypt's next leader is beholden to the military.

The ruling military council is led by Mubarak's defense minister for 20 years, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Many of its members are veterans of Egypt's last war with Israel in 1973, but they also have worked to maintain the peace since 1979.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which controls just under half of the seats in the powerful People's Assembly, wants a president with an Islamist background.

[DGuller]

Good thing Arab democrats are so dumb that they see the junta as a guarantor of freedom.  Israel would be so screwed otherwise.  It's also a good thing that Arab militaries are so weak that they need to fight their own civilians in order to win at something.

[Razgovory]

Good thing Arab democrats are so dumb that they see the junta as a guarantor of freedom.  Israel would be so screwed otherwise.  It's also a good thing that Arab militaries are so weak that they need to fight their own civilians in order to win at something.

I think the little Satan would mop the floor with them.  Even with all their new American tanks and planes.

[DGuller]

Good thing Arab democrats are so dumb that they see the junta as a guarantor of freedom.  Israel would be so screwed otherwise.  It's also a good thing that Arab militaries are so weak that they need to fight their own civilians in order to win at something.

I think the little Satan would mop the floor with them.  Even with all their new American tanks and planes.

Yeah, Israel would probably crush Egypt yet again if it came to that.  But that would be a disaster anyway, because it's not like Israel would be able to get something out of that victory.  They would lose thousands of troops for the feeling of satisfaction and nothing more.  Taking spoils of war is against international law.

[jimmy olsen]

They could let the Egyptians die en masse in the desert this time. USSR ain't around anymore to pressure the US into reigning them in.

[DGuller]

They could let the Egyptians die en masse in the desert this time. USSR ain't around anymore to pressure the US into reigning them in.

That will make the Wiki table for the fifth war a little more impressive, but then what?

[jimmy olsen]

They could let the Egyptians die en masse in the desert this time. USSR ain't around anymore to pressure the US into reigning them in.

That will make the Wiki table for the fifth war a little more impressive, but then what?

Deterrence. A whole dead army does wonders for that.

[Tamas]

Well, first of all, I guess none of the leading media will acknowledge that their hype of the Arab Spring as some kind of arab hipster revolution was seriously wrong, and they shouldn't have pretended that a desperate revolution by desperate, uneducated, and dirt poor people can lead into anything else than a system preferred by desperate uneducated dirt pool people, ie radicalism.

And I do not share the optimism regarding an Egyp-Israel war. Sure, one on one, the Jews would dominate, after initial setbacks due to them probably being too comfortable from several decades of relative peace. But there is way too many instability in the region, for which an anti-jewish jihad would be a very welcome remedy.

[grumbler]

Deterrence. A whole dead army does wonders for that.

Nope.  A dead army wouldn't stop the Egyptian parliament from symbolically voting to expel the Israeli ambassador.

[grumbler]

Well, first of all, I guess none of the leading media will acknowledge that their hype of the Arab Spring as some kind of arab hipster revolution was seriously wrong, and they shouldn't have pretended that a desperate revolution by desperate, uneducated, and dirt poor people can lead into anything else than a system preferred by desperate uneducated dirt pool people, ie radicalism.

Your major media suck.    Did they really think there was such a think as an "Arab hipster" in Tahrir Square?  Do Magyar media actually still use the term "hipster?"

You should read something not written on beet leaves.  If you had, you would have seen that the development of an authoritarian regime tinged with Islamic fundamentalist was widely seen as the likeliest outcome of the revolution.

[Neil]

Good thing Arab democrats are so dumb that they see the junta as a guarantor of freedom.  Israel would be so screwed otherwise.  It's also a good thing that Arab militaries are so weak that they need to fight their own civilians in order to win at something.

I think the little Satan would mop the floor with them.  Even with all their new American tanks and planes.

Yeah, Israel would probably crush Egypt yet again if it came to that.  But that would be a disaster anyway, because it's not like Israel would be able to get something out of that victory.  They would lose thousands of troops for the feeling of satisfaction and nothing more.  Taking spoils of war is against international law.

Fortunately, international law doesn't apply to war.

[Tamas]

Well, first of all, I guess none of the leading media will acknowledge that their hype of the Arab Spring as some kind of arab hipster revolution was seriously wrong, and they shouldn't have pretended that a desperate revolution by desperate, uneducated, and dirt poor people can lead into anything else than a system preferred by desperate uneducated dirt pool people, ie radicalism.

Your major media suck.    Did they really think there was such a think as an "Arab hipster" in Tahrir Square?  Do Magyar media actually still use the term "hipster?"

You should read something not written on beet leaves.  If you had, you would have seen that the development of an authoritarian regime tinged with Islamic fundamentalist was widely seen as the likeliest outcome of the revolution.

*sigh*

I of course refered to the wide-spread enthusiasm regarding these revolts, which were there in the developed world, do not deny it.
FFS, I read an editorial in the International Herald Tribune explaining why the Arab Spring finally proves that Huntington's clash of civlizations model is wrong. Now that was a article.

[grumbler]

*sigh*

I of course refered to the wide-spread enthusiasm regarding these revolts, which were there in the developed world, do not deny it.
FFS, I read an editorial in the International Herald Tribune explaining why the Arab Spring finally proves that Huntington's clash of civlizations model is wrong. Now that was a article.

I don't understand this impulse of yours to lie and exaggerate when you think you could achieve your argument using the truth.

Must be your gypsy genes.

[Razgovory]

And Grumbler thinks he's punishing me by ignoring me!

[Cecil]

Is there anyone on this forum trying so hard to be funny yet failing so completely as Grumbler? I mean seriously hes not a stupid guy but his remarks.... they just seems to lack a certain something. Even Hansie is more talented at writing humour.