Happy anniversary maybe

A week late the New York Times has a Memo from Cairo, For Egypt, Promise of 1979 Peace Still Unfulfilled. Of course the article is mostly reported through the prism of how little Egypt has gained from the Camp David Accords.

But mention of the anniversary also served as a reminder of promises unfulfilled. Egyptians were told that the treaty would lead to a comprehensive peace, and it did not. They were told that it would allow the government to focus on political, social and economic development, instead of war. But they still live in an authoritarian state, defined for many by poverty.

Egyptians were told that the treaty would give them a voice to advocate for the Palestinians. But few see it as having turned out that way.

That Egypt regained all the territory it lost during the Six Day War is acknowledged, but almost as a footnote. (Israel Matzav noted that Egypt viewed the regaining of the territory the main reason for the treaty.)

The most interesting aspect of the report is that the reporter notes the generational difference in attitudes towards the treaty with Israel - older people generally support it; younger people don't.

Still no effort is made to show how the official attitudes towards Israel shape the popular views. It would appear that the "cold peace" is the result of official hostility towards Israel. Which begs the question, what exactly does the United States benefit from the billions of dollars it's invested in Egypt over the past thirty years?

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.