SHEIKH ZUWEID, Egypt — The Sinai Peninsula has lately seen a significant decline in the role and influence of tribal elders. They once enjoyed respect and appreciation, and their words for the tribe were final. Now, however, they are accused of being "informants" for successive governments in Cairo.

Most recently, tribal elders have been the target of a massive campaign criticizing them for quickly switching political affiliations and supporting whoever is currently at the Egyptian helm.

Al-Monitor spoke to Mohammed al-Sawarika of the Sawarika tribe, the largest in Sinai, to learn his take on this issue. He said, “Tribal elders were the first to support former President Hosni Mubarak, so much so that they pre-filled ballots for him and forced tribal members to elect him. They also stood with him against the January 25 Revolution. After the revolution succeeded, they threw their support behind the revolution on behalf of the tribes. And following the arrival to power of former President Mohammed Morsi, who belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood, they declared their support for him and bestowed on him Sinai the [tribal] gown to symbolize their allegiance to him. The same thing happened a week ago with Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the candidate for the presidential elections.”

Sawarika condemned the mercurial political attitudes of tribal elders and their ongoing support to whoever is ruling, saying, “Our elders are hypocrites and their actions are nauseating.”