A year of unprecedented tensions

Celebrations in Tahrir square upon hearing the news of Mubarak's stepping down Cairo – Mohamed El-Shennawi 2011 saw unprecedented tensions in the relations between Egypt and Israel, since both signed the US brokered peace treaty in 1979. Deployment of more armed forces in Sinai, in addition to the passing of two Iranian planes through the Suez canal, the killing of six Egyptian soldiers with Israeli bullets on the borders, as well as Egypt’s opening of the Rafah crossing to Palestinians from Gaza Strip despite Israe's oppositionl, all contributed to the increased tension between the two countries.
Emad Gad, chief editor of Israeli Selections magazine, issued by Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, stated that the Israeli interests require the lack of existence of a democratic state in the region, thus Israel was one of the major supporters of former president Hosni Mubarak’s regime.
“Lack of acceptance between the Egyptian people and Israel is still there and was never absent, and when the people started owning their word and their decisions, Israel felt uncomfortable,” Gad added.
The storming of the Israeli embassy in Cairo by Egyptian protesters, followed by the Israeli ambassador’s departure to Israel, along with the rest of the embassy staff, only helped in increasing the strain in the relations. Such incidents were trailed by Israel killing Egyptian soldiers on the borders, without offering an apology, and without a proper reaction on the part of the Egyptian government, which first stated that they would pull the Egyptian ambassador to Israel, only to change their mind later.
According to Gad, the storming of the Israeli embassy was a natural consequence to the “manipulation of people’s feelings and underestimating their mentalities.”
One of the Egyptian youth protesting before the embassy was able to climb to the top of the embassy building and bring down the Israeli flag, replacing it by an Egyptian flag, September 9. Paying tribute to this young man by the Egyptian government, according to Gad, was a “strong slap” to Israel, which sensed the government’s approval of the incident.
Among the series of incidents which led to strain on the Egypt-Israel relations was the explosion of the Egyptian pipeline to Israel, eleven times, by unidentified gunmen, in addition to incites by some Egyptian politicians to stop exporting gas before modifying its price.
From time to time, Egyptian and Israeli politicians emerge with statements demanding to review the Camp David agreement. Last of these statements was the Muslim Brotherhood’s announcement that the next parliament, of which they hold a majority, would review the agreement.
The tension, however, subsided near the end of the year, when the Egyptian Intelligence mediated in the release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, kidnapped and detained by Palestinian resistance, followed by appointing a new Israeli ambassador to submit his documents for approval and Cairo, in order that the Israeli embassy would resume its work.
More improvement took place with the release of 25 Egyptian detainees, including 6 children, in return of releasing the American-Israeli Elan Grappel, who was detained with charges of spying for Israel.
CEO of the International Center for Future and Strategic Studies, Adel Suleiman stated that the Egyptian-Israeli relations saw five military rounds, pointing out that Israel’s strategic interest is preserved by not going into a military conflict with Egypt, a fact that Israel is well aware of according to Suleiman, thus saying that Israel’s main aim is to maintain the peace process.