Tempting Short-Term Solution

Submitted by Aaron (Japan), Feb 20, 2008 at 07:50

It's tempting to try to foist the responsibility for Gaza onto Egypt. If this were achieved, Egypt (the "Western-friendly" dictatorship) would be expected to do something about the rockets flying into Israel from Gaza.

But when it comes down to it, the costs of ruling Gaza would probably outweigh the benefits, and Egypt would eventually give Gaza its independence. Another possibility is that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood would team up with Hamas to overthrow Mubarak or his successor.

So while we contemplate the supposed short-term benefits of Egyptian rule over Gaza, we must also consider the long-term consequences of Gazan independence and/or Islamic rule in Egypt. Neither of those eventualities may be as bad as they seem, but let's not be caught off guard when they suddenly occur.

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