November 22nd, 2010 by Jason

Amanda Kadlec, writing at International Affairs Review, questions the efficacy of unwavering U.S. support for the Egyptian government. Kadlec agrees with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Egypt is a “‘cornerstone of stability and security in the Middle East,’” but, she asks, “at what cost, and – more critically – is it durable?” While Egypt remains a “central player” in the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians, Kadlec argues that “isolating the peace process as a priority at the expense of democracy is an unwise long-term strategy.” Ultimately, silence on the issue of democracy in Egypt “speaks volumes,” according to Kadlec. “It signals quite loudly to Egyptians that their human, civil, and political rights are trumped by a nebulously defined regional stability that hinges on a Palestinian-Israeli agreement.”

Jay Soloman and Ashraf Khalil write in the Wall Street Journal that “[s]uccessive U.S. administrations have struggled with the dilemma of how hard to push for democracy in Egypt,” noting Egyptian support on both the peace process and anti-terrorism issues as plausible reasons for the indecisiveness. George Ishak, a founder of the Keyafa movement, which advocates for democratic reform in Egypt, told the authors, “‘America doesn’t care about this at all. They feel stability is more important than democracy.’”

Posted in Egypt, Elections, Reform, US foreign policy |