In what has become a contentious issue in the country, the Gaza war implemented by Israel in order to wipe Hamas out, has left Egyptian diplomats unable to do much.
Nael Shama, a frequent columnist with The Daily News Egypt, argued that for Egyptian leaders "there is always someone Egypt blames for the ineptness of its fore i gn policies."
"The protraction of the Lebanese crisis in 2006-8 was blamed on Syria, the unfriendly decision of the US Congress in 2007 to freeze $200 million of US aid was blamed on the influential Jewish lobby and the collapse of the Palestinian reconciliation talks is now blamed on Iran."
Over 400 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza and thousands more injured, including many children, in what has come to supply Egypt's opposition with more than enough to take to the streets in protest of what they have called Egypt's "knowledge and condoning" of the attack.
The country's powerful Muslim Brotherhood had been a leading catalyst to bring thousands of Egyptians to the streets to protest the bombings and demand answers from Cairo.
Despite the widespread resentment of Egypt's inaction to curtail the war, diplomats remain defiant, claiming they were unaware such an action was to be taken and have condemned the Israeli action.
However, Egyptians are not convinced.
"Mubarak or Aboul Gheit's warning that "Egypt cannot accept outbidding over its stance on the Palestinian cause" is tantamount to George Bush's insistence that invading Iraq was politically wise and legally sound," Shama continued.
"Both statements are funny and pathetic; funny because they are so out of touch with reality and pathetic because the marriage of poor policies with poor rhetoric deserves nothing short of resentment and scorn."
In short, Egyptians are fed up with the current status quo of the country's foreign policy and have a desire to see Cairo move toward resolving the situation before it can have an opportunity to move toward a larger regional conflict.
Time will tell if Egyptian foreign policy has any life left in it.
One thing is certain, however, the Gaza war has left moderate Egyptians with a bad taste in their mouth. They want more from their leaders.
Cairo - 03/01/2009
Pana
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