The Egyptians Are Coming!  The Egyptians are Coming!

Such an arrangement functioned acceptably well until a number of watershed events transpired such as the Gulf War and the “peace” process on one side, and the rise of organized Muslim American politics on the other. The former splitting the Shami rank and the latter siphoning constituents away from Arab organizations and into Muslim ones serving a broader Muslim American audience and with a decidedly media-oriented and cultural agenda, so far.

But recently and in a very timely manner, a new realignment emerged within Arab America with the Egyptians surfacing as a political force ready to assert itself and assum a leadership role parallel to the role they are gradually evolving back into in the Arab World.

Camp Oslo

What gives? Many Egyptians credit the signing of Oslo and the Arabs’ increasing political recognition of Israel as the watershed event which enabled Egyptian Americans to end their self-imposed social and political isolation. No longer will Camp David be used to berate Egyptians since they have Oslo to wave back at the remaining Arab rejectionists to show that Egypt is no longer the exception to the rule and Egyptians who were once labeled “sell-outs” have been transformed as a result of Oslo, albeit grudgingly, into visionaries who saw it all coming.

Another positive development can be credited to Egyptian President Hosni Mubark’s seemingly pro-Palestinian stance vis-à-vis an intransigent Likud Israel and its American patron. Some of the diplomatic skirmishes with the US has earned Mubarak an honorable mention in the annals of Arab politics and populace. Many Arabs interpreted Mubarak’s seemingly firm pro-Palestinian posture as a signal that Egypt’s unconditional backing of US policies in the Mid East is coming to an and an assertive Egypt is willing to suffer political and economic costs and risk the wrath of  its key donor country to back a spineless and beleaguered Palestinian Authority.

As a result, the impressions left in the minds of many Palestinians and other Arabs is that of an Egypt embracing a principled outlook on Arab issues in general and Palestinian issues in particular. With Egypt’s star rising again in the Arab World, Egyptians in the US seem to notice the favorable change in attitudes and the historic opportunity they can play to pick up the pieces of Arab American political activism and move forward.

Hieroglyphic Horizons

Be that as it may, Egyptian Americans have returned with a vengeance backed not only by an increasingly impressive demographics, but the quality to back the quantity too. They encompass a well-educated, well-spoken (and still with the traditional English accent considered the hallmark of English speaking Egyptians) and well-financed brigade. Throw in a successful organizational track record (albeit at the cultural level so far) and you have the ingredients useful to administer a political adrenaline shot into a struggling Arab American community led by the mostly burnt-out and politically exhausted Shami Arabs.

As the Arab-Egyptian rift caused by Camp David narrows rapidly, some Egyptian American cultural organizations are redefining their mission as they embark on this rapid ascent to the Arab American political scene. Individually, numerous Egyptian American community leaders have established a visible presence at the local level by participating in organizing and mobilizing fellow Egyptians to join the ranks of traditionally Shami-led organizations. Within a relatively short period of time and due to the vacuum created by a dwindling Shami presence at the local level, Egyptian Americans have assumed a more active role in local Arab American organizations.

Pharaonic Fortune

So what impact if any will the Egyptian presence have on the Arab American political arena? Most likely positive. Since Camp David, a peace loving and ostracized Egypt found strong support from a sympathetic US. Since Camp David, the western  media have divided Arabs into an evil empire on one hand and the good Egyptians on the other. Arabs schemed to annihilate a helpless Israel (please be kind to ignore its flowering nuclear arsenal, healthy territorial appetite, and flaunting of international laws), and Egyptians were running around waving olive branches at the Israelis. Over almost two decades, positive images of Egypt became ingrained in the attitudes of most Americans. Such media and political capital created a more hospitable environment for Egyptians in the US and an acceptance not usually accorded to Shami Arab Americans.

As Egyptian Americans continue their ascent to the helm of Arab America, more doors could open to Arab Americans in general. Unless Egypt breaks rank from the US sponsored “peace” with Israel, she will continue to form the pillar of Americas diplomatic initiatives in the Mid East. For that to continue, it is vital that Egypt is accorded the respect attached to its stature as a regional power. Forcing Egypt to toe the American line all the time could weaken Egypt politically and prove counterproductive in the long-run for US policy in the Mid East. Therefore, the US will continue to cut Egypt enough slack to ensure the political survival of Sadat’s legacy.

Simply stated, the room for Egypt to maneuver is greater than that of any other Arab country. The margin of error permitted for Egypt is much greater than that permitted for let’s say, the PNA or Syria. After all, the US sees the need for Egypt to look tough amongst its neighbors. If that means set-backs for short-term US policies, than be it. For as long as Egypt continues to form the cornerstone of US policy in the Arab World and honors its agreements with Israel (something Israel is exempt from), it will continue to count on US support with few under-the-desk hand slaps administered every now and then by Uncle Sam. But nothing fatal. This is not true for other Arab countries.

The strategic significance of Egypt to the US is bundled with numerous fringe benefits. Such benefits includes a US approach calculated to always bolster Egypt’s image domestically and internationally. Domestically, successive US administrations have avoided loud criticism of Egypt.  Such a criticism it is feared could set the stage for congress to reduce or eliminate US foreign aid commitments to Egypt. This move it is presumed will lure Egypt back into the dark ages of Nasser’s nationalism with all the possible adverse effects on Egyptian-Israeli relations.

Internationally, a strong Egypt is of greater value to the US in mobilizing the Arab front to support strategic US initiatives such as peace with Israel and the Gulf War. During the Gulf War, Egypt was by far the most influential in rallying the Arab states behind the American campaign to oust Saddam out of Kuwait. Had Egypt been perceived by Arabs as a pawn in American hands, such a broad pro-American Arab coalition would have not formed.

Arab American Pyramids

Like or not, Egypt is in a win-win situation. Egyptians are poised to benefit from such a favorable arrangement to coordinate and lead more effectively both in the US and the Arab World. A strong Arab American lobby backed by a strategic Arab sponsor can propel Arab America into a higher level of effectiveness. Such synergy between Arab America and any influential Arab states was lacking since the inception of Arab American activism.

The oil producing Arab states were too politically weak and dependent on the US for protection. Saddam’s Iraq, while an influential Arab country, was a willing pawn in America’s dual containment policy vis-à-vis Iran. Syria was considered a Soviet satellite to be of any value domestically. Libya’s Qaddafi simply had no respect. The rest were small blips on the American political radar screen. In contrast, the pro-Israeli lobby had benefited from the strategic relationship which evolved as a result of Israel’s successful positioning of itself as a bulwark against communist expansion in the Mid East and the generosity of its supporters in the US.

But given Egypt’s demographic and political importance in the Mid East and the demise of the Soviet threat, and given Israel’s impotence in the face of the Gulf War mobilization efforts as contrasted with Egypt’s successful role in mobilizing many Arab states, Egypt today is ready to compete on a level playing field with Israel in the US if the Arab American community plays its Egyptian card well.

Bottom line, Egyptian Americans should be welcomed with open hands and hearts into the Arab American political scene. Their arrival is long overdue and their timing is most appropriate.