In the Rafah border crossing, Egypt provides the only non-Israeli entry point into Gaza and might show important to helping with the shipment of relief and restoration product the EU is eager to send out. The Israeli military controls the crossing, and has actually continued to obstruct gain access to in spite of Israel’s statement that it would resume more than a week earlier.In their joint declaration following the talks, the EU invited Egypt’s mediation function in between Israel and Hamas and required “safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access” to the enclave.“Guaranteeing the provision of full humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, with a central role for the UN and its agencies, including UNRWA, constitutes a core EU and Egyptian priority,” it stated. Speaking after the talks, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated the EU understood it might “count on Egypt’s active support” for its scheduled Palestine donor group to assist fund reforms and assistance to the Palestinian authority.Paul Taylor, a senior checking out fellow at the European policy centre, stated the roadway to the EU’s aspiration to stay politically pertinent in the Israel– Palestine dispute and to keep the UN’s function undamaged now goes through Arab states like Egypt. “The EU aspires to help on the political front as well,” and not simply with help, stated Taylor. “That very much depends on the cooperation with Arab leaders such as President Sissi.“If the Europeans are to have some impact, they require to interact with the Arab states,” he added.
The Europeans, together with the Arab states, could look out for the interests of Palestinians in the region, and have a say on “who sits where and who does what [in Gaza] and about the series of restoration and disarmament [of Hamas]” The Europeans want a seat in the new international transitional body called the “Board of Peace” headed by the US president, said Taylor, and that is something he believes von der Leyen likely brought up in the meeting with el-Sissi.
Human rights ‘sidelined’ over ‘stability,’ say observers
While the EU has been keen to promote its cooperation with Egypt, human rights organisations remain appalled at the rehabilitation of the Egyptian president. Francavilla of Human Rights Watch said on paper, the EU had conditioned its financial support on Egypt’s “concrete and reliable” progress in human rights and democratic reform. But in practice, “it set no quantifiable criteria, and reveals little issue for Egypt’s continuous repression.” Francavilla further cast a shadow on whether European investments were even helping Egyptians. The deal, he said, “benefits authoritarian “stability” while common Egyptians pay the cost, not able to hold their rulers to represent its abuses or the nontransparent usage of public funds.” Nearly a dozen human rights organisations, including HRW, said despite the upgrade in ties with the EU “infractions of Egyptians’ financial and social rights have actually continued without major course correction.” They claimed around 6,000 people were sent to trial in connection with terrorism-related offenses in Egypt this year, many merely for exercising their human rights. “Implemented disappearance, abuse and extrajudicial executions by security forces continue unabated in near-complete impunity,” they said.But there was no criticism of the Egyptian government during the summit, with the closing statement only briefly mentioning a “shared dedication” to “universal worths of democracy, the guideline of law and regard for human rights and essential liberties.”A European Commission spokesperson told DW that human rights were discussed during the summit, without providing further details. But observers criticised the EU for once again backing stability over democracy in the Middle East and North Africa region.“The EU thinks about Egypt as an island of stability in an unpredictable area,” said Kausch of the German marshall fund. “In spite of the reality that it is a dictatorship, Egypt stays an efficient security partner.
