The repercussions of the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel continued to be the most discussed topic in Egyptian newspapers.
Abdul Moneim Saeed wrote, in the stat-run daily Al-Ahram, in an op-ed titled “Revision of the Palestinian cause” that the two-state solution is over on the ground because “nobody is serious about making Palestine a state,” noting that unlike traditional colonials, the Israelis will not go anywhere else, as they are not welcome in the world.
As such, Saeed asked, “why don’t we seek a solution where Jerusalem is a capital for all, the borders extend from the sea to the river, and the current political and economic entities becomes one state?”
Al-Ahram’s Ahmed Abdel Tawab, who wrote dismissively of the power of popular movements, tackled the possibility of legally pursuing Trump through a lawsuit, stating that similar moves previously succeeded in partial delays of his decisions.
He argued that lawsuits should be filed in US and international courts by lawyers of different nationalities, especially from countries allied with the US and in solidarity from US citizens who would be interested in defending their country against accusations of violating international laws.
In the privately-owned Al-Masry Al-Youm, politician Amr Al-Shobaky felt that whenever the Palestinian cause grabbed the attention of Egyptian public opinion, counterarguments would push forward the narrative that “we have enough trouble to deal with and the Palestinians sold their lands.”
Al-Shobaky wrote that instead of blaming the Palestinians for our problems and promoting them as a threat, the resolution of our political and economic issues would be “the biggest support for Palestine and the state would not be afraid of a hundred-person march.”
Mona Makram Ebeid, professor of political science at the American University in Cairo, wrote that Egypt has no real strategic vision on relations with the US due to the weakness in performance of institutions. At the same time, she argued that there is a desire by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to become closer to the US and be part of its decision-making circle.
Meanwhile, political professor Manar Al-Shorbagy addressed the timing of Trump’s decision in her op-ed for Al-Masry Al-Youm, especially that he has always been an Israeli supporter. To her, Trump is preparing for his future in the US, by trying to gain congressional and public support, especially in light of ongoing investigations on Russian interference.
In the private Al-Shorouk paper, Palestinian writer Bissan Edwan, based in Egypt, also dealt with the possibility of a “one-state solution” to avoid more bloodshed, arguing that despite best efforts to obtain UN support against the decision, the US might just ignore it.
The alternative to the two-state solution was also presented by Hassan Abu Taleb, senior analyst at Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, in Al-Watan newspaper. He opined that the best Palestine can achieve through UN bodies is obtain political and moral support, but not a solution on the ground in the face of US-Israeli power. Therefore, more political struggle inside and outside Palestine is required to prevent Israel’s racist expansion at the expense of delaying the dream of full citizenship rights on its historical land.
