CAIRO: Starting December 2009, reports circulated that Egypt is building an underground wall along its border with Gaza to combat the smuggling tunnels. With Gaza under a tight Israeli blockade, the tunnels have become the lifeline of the Strip, used for supplying its residents with foods, medicine and even toys and electrical supplies. Weapons, however, are also smuggled through the tunnels. Egypt said smuggling and the tunnels in general pose a threat to its security and has begun installing steel sheets in the ground along its border with Gaza. Inspite of initial no-comment policy when the new wall was reported, government officials later confirmed the construction, describing it as means to protect Egypt's border. Bitterlemons International interviewed Mkhaimar Abusada, a professor of political science at al-Azhar University in Gaza, about the tunnels. Bitterlemons International: There has been a lot of controversy over the fact that Egypt is building a wall on its border to Gaza. What is your position? Mkhaimar Abusada: This wall comes more than two-and-a-half years after Hamas took over Gaza. Palestinians in Gaza have broken across the border en masse twice, once right after the Israeli disengagement in 2005 and another time in January 2008. The Egyptians are clearly not happy with how things are unfolding at the border. They say that in addition to food and commodities, weapons, drugs and even people are being smuggled back and forth. So Cairo wants to protect its border. Certainly, Egypt is also under intense American pressure to control its border and there is pressure from within Egypt. There are elements in the Egyptian government that want much stricter rules regarding the border. I also think the wall is a form of punishment for Hamas, after the Islamist movement refused to sign the Egyptian-brokered unity agreement with Fateh. So there are a number of factors playing a role in Egypt s decision? That s right. But it s not just any border. Gaza is under blockade and Egypt is the only way out. Does this not figure in Cairo s calculation? I agree it s not a normal border. Gaza has been under severe sanction for the past four years, a blockade that was only tightened after Hamas seized control of Gaza. Egypt has come under intense criticism from Arab and Muslim public opinion for erecting this wall. But Egypt is a sovereign country and has the right to do what it wants on its side of the border. However, I think Cairo needs to find a solution to the 1.5 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza with nowhere to go, under sanction and isolated. If Egypt wants to put an end to the smuggling between Gaza and Egypt I think the Rafah crossing needs to be opened officially for longer than the three days a month it is currently open. But there is still an issue of Israeli occupation over Gaza, isn t there? Yes. This is a very important and critical issue. According to international law, Israel continues to be the occupying power over Gaza, even though it withdrew its troops and settlers in 2005. Israel is besieging the Gaza Strip from air, sea and land and it is Israel s responsibility, not Egypt s, to supply Gaza with food and medicine and other basic necessities. Instead of putting pressure on Egypt, the pressure must be put on Israel, which is responsible for the suffering in Gaza. Israel is trying to throw the Gaza problem into Egypt s hands. Egypt is aware of this and that is why Cairo has been very careful. Egypt has enough problems and doesn t want more from Gaza with its poverty and extremism. Second, Egypt considers the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as one territorial unit and any solution must be comprehensive and should not separate the two areas, the way Israel is trying. Unfortunately, Hamas, whether knowingly or unknowingly, is playing into the hands of Israel by putting pressure on Egypt rather than Israel. Israel is the occupying power and is responsible for the welfare of the people under its occupation. Egypt does not want this responsibility for Gaza, nor should it have it. How great an immediate effect will the wall have on Gaza? Since the boycott and siege of Gaza, hundreds of commodities have crossed from Egypt into Gaza through smuggling tunnels, the only way they can come. Basic food items and most medicines, by and large, come from Israel. But those tunnels have been the lifeline for Gaza for the past several years and if Egypt closes them it will have a dramatic effect on Gazans. Let me give you one example. Lately, cement has been smuggled through, which means some reconstruction projects have gotten under way. At Al-Azhar University we are building new classrooms, since we don t have enough. This, of course, will have to stop if smuggling ends. If Egypt manages to seal the borders, the effect on Gaza will be immense This article is published by DAILY NEWS EGYPT in collaboration with bitterlemons-international.org.
