What we saw in the streets of Cairo today was an Egyptian version of Mussolini-style fascists on the streets of Rome circa 1922, Nazi brown shirts on the streets of Berlin circa 1932 and, of course, Israeli settlers in the rural byways of the West Bank circa 2011.
By tomorrow, if Mubarak emerges victorious from the fray, there should be joy in Jerusalem. For behind all the Israeli lament, there is an obvious disregard for things like real democracy, human rights, justice and freedom. You know, the pie-in-the-sky sort of human desires. All of which are not worth two shekels in Jerusalem compared to the fact that the tyrant just to the west has kept the “peace” for 30 years while Israel has proceeded to illegally dispossess the Palestinians. That is the bottom line. Mubarak goes and Israel loses a vital partner in crime. That would certainly be against its national interest.
In the long run, what are the folks in Washington going to do? Are they going to follow through – simultaneously breaking new ground – and show the world that the US will not associate with Mussolini-style fascists, Nazi-style brown shirts and Israeli fanatics? A necessary start in that direction is pulling the plug on all military aid to Egypt. If Mubarak and his generals want to stay in power, let them pay their own way. No doubt the Saudis will be willing to help them out. As for the United States, we should start acting in a truly idealistic fashion. Most of the world will really love us for it. Egypt is a good place to start.