Egyptians livid over Trump’s Gaza plan, downplay assist risk

CAIRO: Egyptians reacted with fury on Tuesday to US President Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan, whereas downplaying his risk to chop assist to each nations in the event that they refuse.
The state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper ran a front-page headline declaring “Egypt urges the world to finish historic injustice in opposition to the Palestinian folks”, whereas the personal day by day Al-Masry Al-Youm wrote, “Palestinian anger: Gaza shouldn’t be on the market”.
On X, the hashtag “on the shoe” a standard Egyptian phrase that means “we couldn’t care much less” started to development in response to what many noticed as an try at intimidation.
The phrase might be traced again to a historic speech by late president Gamal Abdel Nasser, who dismissed US assist threats throughout Egypt’s wars with Israel.
On Monday, a strongly worded assertion from Egypt’s international ministry rejected “any compromise” that would infringe on Palestinians’ rights, together with to stay on their land.
The assertion adopted a gathering in Washington between Egypt’s international minister Badr Abdelatty and his US counterpart Marco Rubio.
Throughout a cellphone name with the Danish prime minister on Tuesday, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi mentioned that the institution of a Palestinian state is “the one assure for attaining lasting peace” within the area.
The Egyptian chief additionally referred to as for the reconstruction of Gaza “with out displacing” its residents, in accordance with an announcement from his workplace.
Trump, talking on Monday, mentioned the US may “conceivably” halt help to Egypt and Jordan except they agree to absorb Palestinians from Gaza, a proposal Cairo and Amman have repeatedly rejected.
‘An act of battle’
The US supplies its regional ally Egypt with round $1.3 billion in army assist yearly, making it one of many nation’s largest international donors.
In keeping with US authorities knowledge, Egypt obtained roughly $1.5 billion in each army and financial help from the US final yr.
Hussein Haridi, a former diplomat and assistant international minister, downplayed the importance of US assist, arguing that it could not sway Egypt’s place on Gaza.
“This small quantity (about $200 million) in financial assist is not going to have an effect on the Egyptian financial system,” Haridi instructed AFP.
“No matter its affect, we is not going to bow to Trump’s threats,” he mentioned.
Haridi additionally mentioned that Trump had little understanding of “the true character of Egyptians” and the nation’s historic position in defending Arab pursuits and particularly the Palestinian trigger.
“We don’t care about Trump’s threats. Egypt is totally ready to confront them and these threats will backfire on US pursuits within the area.”
“This isn’t simply Sisi’s stance or the Egyptian authorities’s stance, it’s the stance of the Egyptian folks,” he added.
Gamal Bayoumi, a former diplomat and assistant international minister, in the meantime, instructed AFP that Egypt has made its stance clear: any try and pressure Palestinians out of Gaza “can be thought-about an act of battle”.
Bayoumi added that Egypt was properly ready for any measures Washington may take, together with a possible halt to monetary help.
‘Egypt will stand agency’
Amongst extraordinary Egyptians, the Trump plan provoked outrage.
“After bombing and killing them, they now wish to displace them?” mentioned Samir Gomaa, a 71-year-old storage proprietor in Cairo.
“That is Palestinian land. Who of their proper thoughts sells land that is not theirs and turns it right into a vacationer mission?,” Gomaa instructed AFP.
Regardless of Egypt’s financial struggles, together with hovering inflation and mounting debt, many voters expressed help for Sisi’s stance.
“Our president is a hero for saying no, though we’re scuffling with inflation,” mentioned Mohamed Abdel Tawab, 53, a paper dealer.
“The Arab world will rebuild Gaza and Egypt will stand agency,” he mentioned.
Since early within the Gaza battle, which started in October 2023 with Hamas’s assault on Israel, officers and lawmakers in Egypt have repeatedly warned in opposition to any makes an attempt to change the area’s demographics, seeing it as a nationwide safety risk.