Egypt

May 16 – 27, 2009

Prior to our Gaza mission, we travel in Egypt for eleven days visiting the Nile pharonic sites, Alexandria, and Cairo. Many pleasant and impressive images remain with us. But some not so pleasant as well. Millions of Egyptians are dependent on tourism and tourists are in short supply. So we are constantly importuned by guides, travel advisors, taxis, carriage drivers, boat operators everywhere we go. There is an edge of desperation to this, much more so than in other countries we have visited in the Middle East.

There are many other problems in Egypt. Since Sadat’s treaty with Israel the U.S. has pumped billions into the Egyptian economy (second only to Israel in U.S. foreign aid). But development seems to be limited to areas far from the old city of Cairo, e.g. to the west bank of the Nile and east into the Sinai. And the development consists mostly of the construction of residential and commercial enclaves for the Egyptian middle and upper classes. Nevertheless, Old Cairo scuffles on, loud, tattered and dirty, but with a certain threadbare grandeur.

Some Egyptians say that Mubarak is obsessed with his own security and with the succession to power of his son when he steps down. Various reasons are ventured for why he cooperates with the Israeli blockade of Gaza, foremost being because he wants U.S. money and because he hates and fears the Islamic Brotherhood which has ties to Hamas. However, there’s no question where the ordinary Cairene’s sympathies lie. Everyone we talk to who learns we’re going to Gaza breaks out in a big grin, thanks us, and wishes us luck.