Israel’s military planning relies on peace with Egypt; nearly half the natural gas it uses is imported from Egypt; and the principle of trading conquered land for diplomatic ties began with its 1979 peace treaty with Egypt. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt more than with any other foreign leader, except President Obama. If Mr. Mubarak were driven from power, the effect on Israel could be profound.
“For the United States, Egypt is the keystone of its Middle East policy,” a senior official said. “For Israel, it’s the whole arch.”(N.Y. Times)
Right about now placing faith in stability in the form of Mubarek is looking no so good. Meanwhile conservatives here in the U.S. (Althouse blog) are making sure to lay the glories of revolution at Bush's feet. While we grant Bush the often ignored wisdom of seeing Iraq invasion as a way to spread the example of democracy to the stubborn parts of the Middle East, we remain wary as to what replacements an interim of democracy might usher in. We suspect Israelis rightfully remain the most worried. It's life or death for them, and the dictator who offers stability is often better than the faceless man flying in on a magic carpet of democracy.
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