Interesting thought: If the US and Egypt worked together, they could help bring about a cease-fire..

[Poll_Blind]

...between Israel and Gaza. The US can exert some pressure on Israel and Egypt can exert some pressure on the militants in Gaza.

Neither Egypt nor the United States could bring this about single-handedly but working together, there is an opportunity for helping to stabilize the situation and planting seeds of what could be a better, friendlier, more honest relationship between Egypt and the United States in a post-Mubarak climate.

Just a thought.

PB

[longship]

1. Isn't that exactly what brought about the Egypt/Israel peace process?

I think there was a Nobel Peace prize involved, too. And, regretfully, an assassination.

Alas, peace has its costs.

[Poll_Blind]

3. (touches the side of his nose, nods silently and mouths the word "Bingo") nt

PB

[HopeHoops]

2. Not anymore. Egypt has made a lot of noise that they're supporting Hamas.

Israel is going to go full invasion and probably retake the territory for good. Egypt would be foolish to intervene, but they probably will. Iran is itching to join the battle but they'll be in store for some surprises. At least Egypt comprehends what we can do. If it goes all out, we'll be forced to kick some ass.

There is no positive way out of this mess, and Hamas re-ignited it. Trying to hit Jerusalem was probably the dumbest move they could have made. It told Israel that Hamas has no military strategic leaders.

[riverwalker]

4. who is "we"?

"we'll be forced to kick some ass"

[HopeHoops]

6. The US. We're joined at the hip with Israel and have assets in the area.

Like I said, no good can come of this.

[FarCenter]

7. Egypt will do nothing

It is not in their interest to become involved in another war with Israel.

OTOH, they probably don't care whether Israel invades Gaza.

If Israel doesn't invade Gaza, then Israel will look weak.

If Israel does invade Gaza, they will likely take some significant losses. Fighting with tanks in urban settings is not easy, and Gaza may have a lot of fairly new tandem-warhead anti-tank missiles. The losses are likely to infuriate Israel's forces, leading to widespread atrocities which can be used by the Arab world media to generally inflame public opinion against Israel almost everywhere except for the US and UK.

So a "do nothing" policy is a winner for Egypt, no matter what the outcome of the fighting.

Arabs slam Israel over Gaza, urge stronger stance

Both Turkey and Egypt have publicly shrugged off pressure from Washington to exert pressure on the Islamist Hamas into ending Palestinian militant rocket fire into Israel, blaming the Jewish state instead for the violence.

"It's a tactic of Israel's to point the finger at Hamas and attack Gaza," Erdogan told reporters on Saturday before leaving Ankara for Cairo.

"Israel continues to make an international racket with its three dead," he said of the three Israelis killed by a rocket fired from Gaza. "In fact it is Israel that violated the ceasefire."

http://www.france24.com/en/20121117-arabs-slam-israel-over-gaza-urge-stronger-stance

[HopeHoops]

9. Perhaps not directly, but they do have the crossing to feed weapons to Hamas.

[FarCenter]

10. The would not re-supply Hamas

OTOH, they have let Hamas receive weapons until now.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Read in between the lines in news reports

you will see this is actually, likely, going on... even with all the public noise made by Morsi.

[justiceischeap]

8. It would be good for Egypt to work towards a cease-fire.

Nothing like collecting a little political cachet by having your newly formed government facilitate peace.