So that’s what being a good Western ally means

This is what bribing allies does for you; false promises that can’t be kept and undermining democracy (which is, of course, exactly what Israel wants):

Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman promised Israel in 2005 that he would prevent Hamas from gaining control over Gaza, according to a US diplomatic cable released on Friday.

According to the cable, which was leaked to WikiLeaks and published by Norweigan newspaper Aftenposten, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad, head of the Defense Ministry’s Diplomatic-Security Bureau, secretly visited Suleiman, then the head of Egyptian intelligence, in September 2005. Gilad then reported on the visit to US diplomats in Tel Aviv.

Gilad and Suleiman discussed their common fear of Hamas winning the Palestinian elections set for January 2006.

Suleiman said to Gilad: “There will be no elections in January. We will take care of it.”

Suleiman did not elaborate as to how Egypt would stop the elections.

The US embassy in Tel Aviv wrote that Suleiman opposes Hamas because of fears that Islamic leadership in Gaza will strengthen the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Text and images ©2024 Antony Loewenstein. All rights reserved.

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