海角大神

The killing of an Egyptian soldier on the Gaza border Wednesday is just the latest in a series of events which have put Egypt鈥檚 role in the embargo on Gaza in center stage. Egypt鈥檚 participation in the blockade is highly unpopular here and throughout the Arab world.

鈥淭his situation of course harms Egypt鈥檚 reputation and its position within the international community,鈥� says Ibrahim Mansour, Chief Executive Editor of El Destour, an independent daily. 鈥淚t shows that Egypt is an important part of the severe blockade going on against Gaza right now, which in the end only serves Israel鈥檚 agenda.鈥�

Last week, Egypt delayed hundreds of foreign activists from traveling to Gaza. Unable to march in Gaza they brought the protest to Cairo, blocking traffic on major roads and holding a sit-in in downtown鈥檚 Tahrir Square.

On Tuesday, Egyptian officials delayed 鈥� and reportedly tear-gassed - an aid convoy headed by British left-wing Parliamentarian George Galloway. Some of the protesting Palestinians in Gaza were awaiting Mr. Galloway鈥檚 convoy, while others were demonstrating against Egypt鈥檚 construction of a new border wall meant to curb underground smuggling into the Hamas-controled Gaza Strip.

Hundreds of Palestinians were gathered at the border for the protest, and many began to throw rocks at Egyptian security forces assembled on the other side. The Egyptian forces reportedly opened fire, injuring at least 20 Palestinians. Egypt's official state new agency, MENA, reports that 17 Egyptian police were also injured and seven foreign activists were detained.

Nabil Abdel Fattah, the assistant director of the government-linked Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, says the clashes are not in response to Egypt鈥檚 border project but instead are 鈥渁 clear manifestation of anti-Egypt feeling by Hamas.鈥�

鈥淎 majority of the Egyptian people are very angry about Hamas thinking and behaviour,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hese episodes reduce people鈥檚 support for Hamas and the people in Gaza.鈥�

But many Egyptians seem more cynical than angry. They see a foreign hand 鈥� the US or Israel 鈥� in Egypt鈥檚 participation of the blockade, and in the wall to stop smuggling.

鈥淓gypt is facing a lot of pressure,鈥� says Osama, an emergency room doctor drinking tea in a downtown coffee shop. 鈥淭he idea of building a wall came out of nowhere, but I don鈥檛 think it was an Egyptian idea. It was foreign, just like the blockade as a whole.鈥�

Left with no other trade routes, the smugglers鈥� tunnels provide an economic lifeline to besieged Gaza, bringing in everything from bullets to baby formula 鈥� and even a lion for the Gaza zoo. The territory has been under embargo since the militant Islamic group Hamas took power there in June 2007.

Egypt has come under pressure from the United States and Israel to end the smuggling, which is centered on the town of Rafah. Local media reports suggest the project could be a step in that direction by extending a steel wall deep underground in an effort to sever any tunnels which survived Israel鈥檚 22-day Gaza offensive in January 2009.

But Egyptian officials have downplayed the project, falling over themselves in an unusual effort to defend what they say is a legal and routine national security measure.

In a speech before parliament on Tuesday, Cabinet Minister Mofeed El Shehab called 鈥渢he principle of borders sacredness and sanctity is an imperative rule of the international law,鈥� and said allegations that Egypt is building a 鈥渟teel wall on our borders with Gaza鈥� were 鈥渂aseless.鈥�

The country鈥檚 state-backed religious authorities have also weighed in in support of the project. On January 1st the Islamic Research Academy at Al Azhar Mosque, a venerable 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni learning, issued a statement calling construction of the barrier both permissible under Islamic law and 鈥渙ne of the legitimate rights of Egypt.鈥�