US presses wary ally Egypt on Israel, democracy

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US presses wary ally Egypt on Israel, democracy

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The US is pressing Egypt to bolster relations with Israel and continue on the path toward democracy.

29 September,2011 04:27 am

The United States on Wednesday sought to press its wary allies in Egypts army leadership to bolster ties with Israel and stick to scheduled elections later this year, even though a new set of leaders much less friendly to the US and the Jewish state may be the winners.Ahead of a meeting between Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Egyptian Foreign Minister Muhammed Amr, the State Department said it was encouraged by the way Egypts military council has defused tensions with its neighbor after protesters recently stormed the Israeli embassy in Cairo. But State officials expressed continued concerns over the interim governments commitment to ending the emergency laws that were a mainstay of abuse during Hosni Mubaraks three-decade rule.It is obviously a very important time in Egypt, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. We have a broad and deep relationship working to support the democratic transition in Egypt that is under way.The American demands on Egypt represent in some ways the twin set of hopes and fears for all the movements for greater democracy in the Arab world. The Obama administration has championed them but hopes to corral their energy so that political transitions from Tunisia to Yemen do not slide back into renewed military domination or unleash a powerful new wave of intolerant populism as occurred after Irans Islamic revolution 32 years ago.With Egypt, the United States is facing a precarious balancing act. It is trying to lay the foundation for renewed relations with a future government that will be more democratic if less amenable to US interests. And it is attempting to convince Egypts leaders to salvage ties with Israel and maintain counterterrorism and diplomatic efforts that may be deemed vital for American national security, but not necessarily supported by the Egyptian people.The fraying of relations with Israel has especially concerned the United States, which has been lobbying much of the world in recent weeks against a Palestinian bid for recognition as a state and UN membership. Egypt, which underMubarak often played a key mediation role between the two sides, has come out determinedly for the Palestinian bid over fierce Israeli opposition.And with elections around the corner, Washingtons challenge is only likely to get more difficult. At stake is American influence in a crucial geopolitical space linking North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. Also in question is how the US projects power in a part of the world where al-Qaida and other Islamist extremists still pose a threat to the United States, and where the six-decade Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to hamper American relations with Arab countries.