Mubarak, Egypt regime change and Israel

Moderate camp in the region

A week after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's operation to remove his gall bladder, and there are still only partial updates regarding his condition. According to the latest information from the German hospital in which he underwent the operation, the 81-year-old president's health is improving steadily. He has already been released from intensive care and is now in recovery.

The reports from the Heidelberg hospital have sparked concern and tensions in all of Israel's neighboring states. Given Mubarak's advanced age and his recent medical history, an operation is no trivial affair. And as this region tends to do in circumstances such as these, the more concealment there is, the more speculation there is. One thing is clear, whether in the next few months or in the next year or two, Mubarak's rule of almost 30 years is nearing an end.

Although Israel has not said so publicly, it is particularly sensitive to the news emerging from Cairo. The cold peace with Egypt - the characteristic hostility of the elite and the media notwithstanding - is one of Israel's top strategic assets, second only to its alliance with the United States. And even though Egypt has not disguised its disgust with Israel over settlement construction and the killing of Palestinians, the two countries see eye-to-eye on a number of lower-profile issues.

Cairo views Jerusalem as a de facto partner in the moderate camp in the region, trying to stop the influence of the radical axis led by Iran. Even during Operation Cast Lead, despite international criticism of Israel, both states were hyper aware of this goal. More