An open letter to the government of Egypt

Hi, Egypt. I’ve had my eye on you since October 7, and I see right through you.

I see you’d like the world to believe you don’t want to accept Palestinians from the Gaza Strip due to your concern for national security — who wants terrorists pouring into their country, right? Why don’t you ask Israel about that.

I see you’re happy that nobody is asking what you did about the original Palestine Mandate. You know, the decision that the Gaza Strip be “Arab” ruled, presumably by those identifying as Arab Palestinians, in 1947. Instead, in that first Arab-Israel war in 1948, you just ran your way right through that region and claimed it as your own. Oh yes, you did.

But wait — what about Palestinian sovereignty? Wasn’t that supposed to be a thing?

Not on your watch, you said. Instead, you jumped that area in violation of the original plan. And you not only blew off the concept of Palestinian sovereignty, but you refused those folks Egyptian citizenship, integration, or status. Then you kicked out all your Egyptian Jews (you didn’t even need 10 plagues!), and declared the survival of tiny Israel in those newborn days a “catastrophe” like a spoiled, spiteful bully in a schoolyard. You and the Arab League (you’re next on my list, Jordan) kicked desert sand in the face of baby Israel and have refused, ever since, to do anything but sulk and throw things (rockets, shade…) and stamp your feet about sharing. Is being dozens of times the size of Israel not enough?

I also see you are happy to ignore your direct role and responsibility in creating and fostering the homicidal death cult that is modern Palestinian culture. The culture of the Gaza Strip is your doing. Those Arab Muslims are your people, and their evil ideology was birthed by you. Weren’t you over it after you lost the Sinai desert trying to not share with Israel from 1967-1973? Didn’t hassling Israel get old after the Arab Boycott?

And I see you, when your neighbors in pseudo-peace are massacred and kidnapped by your former charges, as you do nothing but make flaccid excuses for not doing the basic, obvious right thing.

Egypt, I have to say I’m sick of your toxic head-games with Palestinians and Israel in this current war. My wish since October 7, and especially as we enter 100 days, is for Israel to be free of the Gaza Strip entirely. The Palestinian sovereignty experiment in the Gaza Strip is a disaster, because they were set up to fail in countless ways by you, Egypt, and the rest of the Arab world. So take it, and claim it back as Egypt once again.

I declare it’s time for you, Egypt, to demand Israel’s hostages be released now, open safe space for Gaza residents while you help Israel clean up your hot mess in the Strip, and never again direct or promote an archaic and twisted bloodlust against a benign people, since you know full well what a catastrophe that turns out to be.