Posted on 11/19/2012 9:59:49 AM PST by Former Fetus
As Egypt's closure of some of the smuggling tunnels from Gaza drives up prices in the tiny coastal enclave, it has also spurred anger toward Egypt's new Islamist president for throttling one of Gaza's main sources of goods.
Egypt began destroying tunnels as part of a security crackdown in the Sinai after militants attacked an Egyptian army checkpoint near Rafah on Aug. 5, killing 16 Egyptian soldiers before crossing the border to attack Israel.
The operation has slowed the tunnel trade, leading to price increases in Gaza on items like building materials and food. The Hamas government has protested the closure of tunnels, but it has also used the opportunity to press Egypt to allow legal trade between the two sides and abolish the tunnels entirely.
While Hamas, an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, might have expected a friendlier partner across the border when the Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi became president, President Morsi has rebuffed the request for a free trade zone while clamping down on smuggling.
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
It seems like the Palestinians in Gaza have done a very good job of pissing off the Egyptians as well as the Israelis, and now find themselves with few reliable allies in their immediate vicinity.
Doesn’t materially affect their standing elsewhere in the world. Just consider the wide support they are getting even in New York City. And Turkey seems all too happy to run guns and war material into Gaza.
Does anyone really want the hyenas in Gaza to actually prevail? The Hamas dudes are serious purists, and would kill anyone not as pure as them, Muslim or not.
You think the Egyptians want this in their house?
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