News

After spending last week and much of this weekend comparatively
silent about the uprisings in neighboring Egypt, Israeli officials and
pundits are suddenly sounding off on the growing rebellion and lashing
out at President Obama for his somewhat incomplete backing of Mubarak.

Israeli President Shimon Peres praised Mubarak, insisting the
Israeli government had “great respect” for the aging dictator, while he
and others angrily chided President Obama for his modest calls for
political reform in Egypt, accusing him of “betraying” Mubarak.

The comments are likely to be viewed quite negatively amongst
protesters, who were already more than a little irked at US officials
saying they wouldn’t support the complete ouster of Mubarak but only
some minor reforms and citing Israel as the excuse.

Indeed, despite the Obama Administration’s insistence that they
aren’t “taking sides” most are viewing them as propping up the Mubarak
government, and not the other way around, a position strongly indicated
by the $1.5 billion the US sends him annually.

But now, in the wake of a bloody crackdown on protesters, Israeli
officials the world over are demanding that the US and others “curb”
their criticism of Mubarak, and telling their ambassadors to warn the
world that Israel not only supports Mubarak’s regime unquestioningly,<... >>>