Rob Eshman challenges the standard Jewish response of “full-throated pessimism” to the events of Egypt, noting “I worry that fear and pessimism have become our go-to reaction, the birthright of every self-proclaimed Jewish “realist.”–and not just with Egypt. (Jewish Journal)
A new poll of Egyptians finds more support for, than opposition to, the Israel-Egypt peace treaty. (RealClearWorld)
Isi Leibler says Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood are “soul brothers…They are identical” but Larry Derfner, thinks “Muslim Brotherhood is probably not going to take over Egypt…the movement in Egypt is dominated by democrats.” (VOA News)
Bradley Burston asks why “many of the same people on the Israeli and world Jewish right who for 30 years had derided, dismissed, and did their best to deny the peace with Egypt, suddenly voiced fears that this same peace was in danger, that it might be lost in the course of the Tahrir revolution?” (Ha’aretz)
Caroline Glick says that Obama not only has ignored the dangers posed by the Muslim Brotherhood, but even issued orders “to curtail programs aimed at developing liberal alternatives to authoritarianism and the Muslim Brotherhood,” and indeed, the “administration’s ideologically driven strategic ineptitude is evident everywhere”–notably Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia and the Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)
Thomas L. Friedman reports that the White House was “thoroughly disgusted” with the “out-of-touch, in-bred, unimaginative and cliché-driven [Israeli] cabinet” approach to this crisis, which was “using the opportunity to score propaganda points” and urging continued support to Mubarak. (New York Times)
Gina Nahai, herself from Iran, sees a lot of Iran in what is happening in Egypt. (Jewish Journal)
Leon Wieseltier says “the Netanyahu-Barak government has displayed gross historical irresponsibility in recent years. It has, in its relations with the Palestinians, desired only stasis and the status quo”–so now it has to deal with change in Egypt without having resolved the Palestinian matter. (New Republic)
