One of the outcomes of the military coup in Egypt is the stronger bond between Cairo and Jerusalem. Although the two nations want to keep their warmer relationship under wraps, it is hard to ignore the fact that they enjoy not only tactical cooperation the ground, but also a convergence of strategic interests. Considering the dramatic chain of events in Egypt since 2011, it is very hard to predict the coming months, but at least in the short term, Israels security situation on its southern and western fronts has seen a major change for the better.
The change actually started in Washington D.C. in July. According to the American press, Israel went to great lengths to smooth things out between the new Egyptian regime and the United States. For the Egyptian generals it was very important that the regime change not be labeled a military coup. In that event, American law would make illegal the yearly $3.5 billion in aid to Egypt, most of which goes toward the military.
Even though the events in Cairo were a coup in every sense of the word, it seems that it was in the American administration's interests to prevent that term from being applied. Israel and its supporters, mainly on Capitol Hill, also played a part.
The Egyptian generals knew how to show their gratitude and Israel is pleased with operations against terror in Sinai and Hamas in Gaza.
Egyptian pressure on Hamas has meant it will not dare even think about firing rockets at Israel or allowing smaller Palestinian factions to do so. The Hamas leadership in Gaza, still surprised and bruised by the violent and effective way the leaders of their sister movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, were deposed in Cairo, are careful to obey.
Before relations with Egypt cooled, Hamas (inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo) stepped out from under the influence of Iran and Syria, and denounced Syrian President Bashar Assads civil war. As a result, the flow of money and weapons to Gaza from Iran ceased. Hamas now finds itself at a loss on all fronts.
Over the past few weeks Egypt has shut down most of the hundreds of smuggling tunnels under the Rafah border between Egypt and Gaza, and has stopped the transfer of fuel to the Gaza Strip, which means that instead of receiving subsidized fuel from Egypt, Hamas now has to important fuel, at six times the cost, from Israel. Gaza residents can only cross into Egypt via the Rafah border for a few hours every day.
