"The Camp David Accords are finished."
These words, spoken in the aftermath of Mubarak's resignation as President of Egypt, did not come from the Muslim Brotherhood, but from a top opposition leader.
An influential Egyptian opposition figure and likely presidential candidate called Sunday for Cairo’s peace treaty with Israel to be reassessed, the first sign since former president Hosni Mubarak’s ouster Friday that the 32-year-old agreement may be in jeopardy.
Ayman Nour, a former lawmaker and chairman of the Ghad (Tomorrow) party, told an Egyptian radio station that the 1978 Camp David Accords were no longer relevant, and said the country’s leadership should at least rethink the terms of the framework agreements that led to a peace deal between the erstwhile enemies the following year...
“The Camp David Accords are finished,” Nour said. “Egypt has to at least conduct negotiations over conditions of the agreement.”
This does not bode well for Egypt or for Israel. One must assume this is a popular attitude among the Egyptians, for a top political leader to come out with it this quickly. If he makes good on his threat, and he has widespread support amongst the Egyptians, the Israelis will have no choice but to either renegotiate or hold firm and demand fealty to the old treaty. What choice do they have? If they renegotiate they will be obliged to consider new terms that are not favorable to them by comparison. Yet, if they refuse, they will be criticized as warmongers. The end result is dependent solely on who has, or gains, power in Israel over the next few months, to couple of years.
This might lead to the first real gains among the really ultra-Orthodox parties like the Kahanists, in the face of what might be seen as mounting and unreasonable pressure and aggressive rhetoric. And it will probably be only a matter of time now before there is another Intifada among the Palestinians, particularly if Hamas sees such a provocation as the only way to keep their people from giving them the same treatment the Egyptians gave to Mubarak. It's the old scapegoat the Jews strategy, an unfortunately time-tested and proven strategy that has proven effective from Spain, to Russia, to Germany, and beyond. What's worse, it might spread beyond the Hamas areas of influence to include the West Bank and Eastern Jerusalem. The Baca Valley of Southern Lebanon and the Golan Heights might similarly erupt as well. All of Israel's surrounding nations, not only Syria and Lebanon, but even Jordan and Saudi Arabia, all nations which have experienced their own threats to peace and public order and security, might experience their own upheavals. What better way to get their people off their backs than to encourage yet another round of Israel bashing. The Israelis have a perfectly reasonable right to be concerned, because this time, it might go farther than the leaders of these countries might intend and possibly herald a conflagration which no reasonable person, especially a national leader, wants to be involved with.
And it does bear asking-WWOD? It's a good thing for him he has a teleprompter. If the last couple of weeks is any guide, he's going to be far too busy wringing his hands to be able to read any scribbled notes on his palms.
