Back to my last post. On the Gaza issue Egypt is a follower of the Israeli-Saudi policies which aims to keep the strip blockaded and life for its residents harsh with the goal of getting rid of its Hamas rulers. That also fits in nicely with the ambitions of the PA/PLO sheriffs of Ramallah. Yet there is another school of thought that has seen bandied about publicly: that indicates Saudi and Israeli goals in Gaza may diverge at some point. It goes like this: does the Likud, and Netanyahu, really want to get rid of Hamas? Gaza and its various Islamist groups (not just Hamas) are such a useful red herring for the Israelis, such an extra complication to any negotiations on a peace deal. Any complication, any extra few months could mean many thousands more ‘facts on the ground’ in the West Bank. More time to avoid complicated and unpalatable political decisions.
Remember what I posted a few weeks ago about the old Arab urban legend of the history of Hamas and the possible role of the Mossad.
Cheers
Mohammed Haider Ghuloum