Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 04/11 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 01.– 21. Februar 2011 1. Der Sturz von Hosni Mubarak Nach 18 Tagen anhaltender Proteste erreichten ägyptische Demonstranten eines ihrer wichtigsten Ziele: Hosni Mubarak, seit fast 30 Jahren Präsident und autokratischer Herrscher des Landes, trat zu­rück. An seiner Stelle hat nun das Militär, das auch vorher Mubaraks wichtigste Stütze war, die Macht übernommen. Eine Kommission zur Ausarbeitung einer neuen Verfassung ist ernannt worden. Men­schenrechtsorganisationen kritisierten jedoch deren Zusammensetzung aus Mitgliedern des alten Re­gimes und der Muslimbrüderschaft. In Israel sorgen sich Politiker und Öffentlichkeit in erster Linie um die Aufrechterhaltung des Friedens­vertrages mit Ägypten. Das ägyptische Militär ver­sicherte jedoch, das alle abgeschlossenen Verträge weiterhin gültig seien. A new era in Egypt "Egypt's popular revolution[…] herald[s] a new era in Middle East history. It's an era in which the people demand to be heard and be allowed to help shape their fate[…]. A political revolt like this, in which unarmed citizens overthrow a ruler they hate, had never taken place in a an Arab country.[…] Now Israel has to get used to Egypt's new rulers. The dramatic change over the border naturally gives rise to fears, but Israel must not interfere in its southern neighbor's affairs. Egypt has no conflict with Israel and must not be presented as an enemy. […] The revolution in Egypt did not stem from the ties with Israel, and Netanyahu would do well to keep quiet and give this neighboring country a chance to establish a democracy." HAA 13.02.11 Editorial The Muslim brotherhood waits in the wings "The Egyptian revolution[…] was mainly motivated by the demand of the masses for economic justice. […] Hope for political stability hangs on the mistaken impression created by the western media that the demonstrators were the'Facebook generation'[…] ­that is to say people like us. The truth is that there are millions of university educated young Egyptians who are unemployed and hungry.[…] If Egypt cannot deal with its poverty and create a structure of social justice acceptable to the majority, the Muslim Brotherhood will inevitably become more powerful." Ehud Kaufman, GLO 13.02.11 Egypt is not Gaza "The Egyptians are unlike the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank or Jordan; nor are they like the Shiites in Lebanon. This is a proud, modest people which has never been in the thrall of religious fanaticism, despite the Islamic revolutions that have swept the region. Thus, the prospect that Egypt will join the so-called axis of evil whose base is Iran is slight. Even if the Muslim Brotherhood rises to pow­er under the cover of democratic elections- it is not an organization that can be likened to Hamas. Reli­gious enthusiasm does not spawn political develop­ments in Egypt which can be comparable to those prompted elsewhere in the Arab world." Yom-Tov Samia, HAA 07.02.11 Egypt is not Iran "Egypt is a Muslim country with an Islamic scent, though unwilling to submit to the totalitarian suffoca­tion by religious rulers.[…] The Muslim Brotherhood is not destined to come to power in Cairo. Islam is a central part of the life of Egyptians though not the ideal of their political vision.[…] The pride that Egyptians feel for their country, which burst out in the revolutionary élan, is a compelling sign that Iran as a model and precedent is alien to their national ethos.[…] So the Egyptian revolution, hardly violent at all, is willing to sustain and dignify Islam but not succumb to its preachers and principles." Mordechai Nisan, JED 16.02.11 1