Israel Matzav

Egyptian dictator visiting Washington on Monday

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will be in Washington on Monday and Tuesday. He will meet with 'American Jewish leaders' on Monday and then on Tuesday he will meet with President Obama. Mubarak will attempt to 're-set' relations with the United States. Mubarak has not been to the United States since 2004, and he blames former President Bush for the less-than-cordial relations.

The Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported this week that "A press statement issued this week by the Foreign Ministry squarely blamed the tensions that have marred recent relations between Cairo and Washington on the policies of the Bush administration. Egyptian officials now hope that the worst is over, and bilateral ties can be placed on a new footing."

The US is also eager to count Egypt as an ally in shaping its Middle East agenda, as it has a peace treaty with Israel and shares strategic concerns about the role of Iran and its proxies.

If I were a Democrat, I'd be embarrassed to hear why the Obama administration has better relations with Egypt than the Bush administration did:

The Al-Ahram story also quoted an Egyptian official as saying that this was possible because there had been "a significant change" in the kinds of questions now being asked by the US administration about domestic affairs, including democratization, freedom of worship and expression, and "allegations of human rights violations."

The official was quoted as saying, "I am not saying that we get no questions. What I am saying is that the aggressive language in which such questions used to be couched has been abandoned."

In other words, forget all that 'democracy' and human rights stuff. Hopeychangey.

Congress may be less inclined than the White House to give Mubarak a warm reception, which is why Mubarak is coming now while Congress is not in session. In fact, most of Washington is likely on vacation this week and next.

But as long as the United States keeps giving Egypt $2 billion per year - an amount only exceeded by Israel and Iraq - for nothing in return, that's just fine with the Egyptians.

Which 'American Jewish leaders' are meeting with Mubarak and why?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:01 AM