Mubarak Falls

The recent political upheaval in Egypt culminated on Friday with the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who turned over authority to the Egyptian military. Headed by Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, the military is now expected to oversee a process of transition until national elections are held next September.

Mubarak’s ouster was met with stark relief in Washington, which had been caught between its longtime financial and political support for Mubarak and its sympathy for the democratic aspirations of the protest movement. “This is an extraordinary moment for Egypt,” said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry. Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden, hailing Mubarak’s departure as a “pivotal moment,” insisted that “The transition that's taking place must be an irreversible change and a negotiated path toward democracy.”

Implications for Israel and Palestine

Although it’s still too soon to know just what effect Mubarak’s fall will have regionally, one thing is clear: it will not be without consequences for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As discussed last week, the promise of a democratic Egypt has prompted newfound concerns within Israel. In particular, many Israelis fear that if an Islamist government were elected to power, it would not only destabilize the security of Egypt’s border with Gaza, but the new government could possibly unilaterally withdraw from the Camp David Accords, the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt that has served as a lynchpin of regional peace and stability for the past 30 years.

These fears, however, are likely unfounded.

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