Trump’s ‘deal of the century’ fails to resonate among Egyptians
While the Egyptian government treaded cautiously in its response to the rollout of the US administration’s long-awaited peace deal, expressing Cairo’s “appreciation” of US efforts, analysts and the public widely condemned the plan.
Ending months of speculation, US President Donald Trump outlined his proposed plan for Middle East peace in Washington Jan. 28, describing it as a "win-win" for both Israel and the Palestinians. Trump said he envisions "a two-state solution with Jerusalem remaining as Israel's undivided capital" and "a capital in East Jerusalem for a future Palestinian state." Promoted as "the deal of the century" by its proponents, the plan failed to evoke the same enthusiasm in Egypt, America's closest ally in the Arab world and a strong supporter of the UN-sponsored two-state solution.
Trump's plan drew mixed reactions from Egyptians on social media networks. Some expressed anger and dismay over the proposal. Others shared an image of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kissing. Some reminisced about late President Anwar Sadat and the Palestinians' "missed opportunity" for peace, in reference to Sadat's exhortations to Palestinians to accept the Camp David Accords he signed with Israel in 1978, which were brokered by then-US President Jimmy Carter. Many of those propagating the “missed opportunity" view are Egyptian government supporters who are apathetic toward Palestinians in Gaza, whom they perceive as supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood because of Hamas' close relationship with the outlawed group.
