Egypt's difficult balancing act amid the war in Gaza

Egypt has been coming under “conflicting pressures” as the war in Gaza unfolds, both from Israel, the US, the EU, Hamas, and its public, all while looking at a potential economic crisis at home, leading to a difficult balancing act for Egypt. Despite these pressures, Egypt’s role in this conflict has become increasingly pivotal for the US. The recent visit by CIA Director William Burns to Egypt and Congress’s “exceptionally fast” confirmation of Washington’s new ambassador to Egypt underscore this importance. Sean Mathews joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the tightrope Egypt’s President Sisi is walking amid the war in Gaza, and look at the increasingly pivotal role Cairo is playing.Sean Mathews is a journalist for Middle East Eye based in Greece and the wider region writing about business, security and politics. His coverage spans from across the Middle East, North Africa and the Balkans. His reporting has also appeared in Al Jazeera, The Economist, and Al Monitor.Read Sean Mathews’ latest: Riled by Israel's Gaza plans, Egypt pushes backYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Israel-Gaza: Neighboring Egypt's tricky tightrope actEU throws weight behind Cypriot plan to ship aid to GazaCyprus outlines plan for maritime corridor to get aid to GazaAs price of olive oil soars, chainsaw-wielding thieves target Mediterranean’s century-old treesSharp decline in olive oil production projected