Egypt and the War on Gaza: Two Discourses, One Policy

The Unit for Political Studies

The Unit for Political Studies is the Center’s department dedicated to the study of the region’s most pressing current affairs. An integral and vital part of the ACRPS’ activities, it offers academically rigorous analysis on issues that are relevant and useful to the public, academics and policy-makers of the Arab region and beyond. The Unit for Policy Studies draws on the collaborative efforts of a number of scholars based within and outside the ACRPS. It produces three of the Center’s publication series: Situation Assessment, Policy Analysis, and Case Analysis reports.

Since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza on 7 October 2023, Egypt’s response has received more attention than that of other Arab states due to its regional weight and because it is the only Arab country with a common border with the Gaza Strip, directly linking it to the events unfolding. With the Israeli escalation against Gaza and the widespread scenes of killing and destruction, the official Egyptian has position evolved, heightening its rhetoric and mobilizing the media and the street against Israeli aggression. It has been decades since such a stance has been taken in Egypt, with the exception of the brief tenure of elected President Mohammed Morsi. What is the nature of Egypt’s position? And how and why has it evolved?

This paper distinguishes the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from that of the presidency, seeking to clarify the extent of their alignment, the intersections between them, and the explanatory factors.

Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies