The step of the Emirati normalization with Israel seemed to be welcomed by the Egyptian regime, as evidenced by a post published on the official page of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Facebook.
However, the close follow-up of Egyptian media messages, which are completely subject to the directives of the security services, indicates that the regime is concerned about the Emirati move.
The Egyptian media did not show much interest in the move, as it used to with other Emirati policies, the media greatly celebrated it, as happened when the UAE boycotted Qatar.
Observers attributed that conservative stance on welcoming the Emirati normalization to the fear that the Emirati normalization would pull the rug from under the feet of a regime that had long presented its credentials to the West and Israel as a major mediating bridge between it and the Arabs.
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Journalist Sayed Amin, who is interested in Egyptian media affairs, noted the disappearance of the celebration of the Emirati move by most of the media, and even deliberately mentioned the news briefly accompanied by Sisi's official statement, transmitted from his personal Facebook page.
Amin told Al-Jazeera Net that the Egyptian regime and its media seem to be disgruntled at the Emirati move, “not because they are against normalization, but because the Emirati normalization has lost the regime the advantage of being the only active official agent for normalization with Israel in the Gulf states and vice versa, but now normalization has other proxies competing with it. Closer to Israel. "
In conjunction with the fading celebration of the Emirati normalization, opinions of writers close to the regime - some of whom are even known to promote normalization - criticizing the move, appeared in articles in government newspapers.
The former editor-in-chief of the state-run Al-Akhbar newspaper, Jalal Dewidar, wrote an article in Akhbar Al-Youm, arguing that the agreement does not guarantee Palestinian rights, but rather uses them as a cover for normalization with Israel.
The matter reached that one of the writers known for their support for normalization, Salah Montasser, in his article pushed Al-Ahram to question Israel's intentions of normalization with the Emirates, and whether it would really stop the process of annexing the West Bank.
Imad Eddin Hussein, editor-in-chief of Al-Shorouk newspaper (especially and close to the authority) wrote a series of articles criticizing the jogging against normalization.
The Egyptian parliament did not comment on the agreement, contrary to its habit on such occasions when it rushes to show support for the official position of the regime.
As for the semi-official institutions, no statement was issued by the leaders of professional unions that have long struggled against normalization.
In the absence of a reaction from the Journalists Syndicate, the trade unions first condemned the late President Anwar Sadat’s normalization with Israel. Journalists activists collected hundreds of signatures against the rush to normalization in general.
A change in relationships
Former presidential candidate Ayman Nour said, "Despite Sisi’s affectionate affiliation with Mohammed bin Zayed in many positions, there are differences between the two countries' agencies and institutions that have recently begun to appear in the public domain, and it is clear that Ahmed Shafiq was referred to trial after 7 years of innocence as a direct message of anger to the Emirates."
Speaking to Al-Jazeera Net, Nour saw in Sisi's statement two days ago that he was ready to leave his post if it was not desirable to send messages to people or parties for whom he played regional roles, and these figures began to take their hand away from Sisi personally.
Ayman Nour expected a change in relations between Abu Dhabi and Cairo as a result of what happened between Israel and the UAE publicly after secrecy, and after expanding its scope, which comes at the expense of a role in which Sisi was keen to remain alone.
Haaretz - Posted by Zvi Baril - Egypt and Jordan have struggled with normalization for years, and the agreement with the UAE is a test for them
Cairo retreat
The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz pointed out the impact of the normalization agreement between the UAE and Israel on the Egyptian regime's standing in Israel.
The writer Zvi Barel said in his article in the newspaper that Al-Sisi now fears the theft of the crown by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed.
The writer emphasized that the step of the Emirati normalization could move the center of regional attention from Cairo to the Gulf region, especially if other countries in the Gulf joined this festival.
He said that the fear now in Cairo is that Mohammed bin Zayed will from now become "a whisper in the ears of the Israelis," pointing out that bin Zayed is Trump's unofficial advisor on Middle Eastern affairs, and his weight in money is heavier than Sisi, but despite this the regional importance of Egypt remains Which is also economically dependent on the Emirates.
Sisi's fears
These estimates were reinforced by a report by the Washington Institute for Studies, which indicated that Egyptian leaders are clearly concerned about the normalization agreement, as it undoubtedly threatens to alienate them from their long-term role as key Arab interlocutors with Israel.
The report pointed out that Egypt has been a main pillar in the peace process in the Middle East for decades, and the peace treaty with Israel in 1979 gave it great influence with Washington and European capitals.
However, the new agreement with the UAE strengthened Cairo's belief that the center of power in the Arab world had begun to shift towards the Gulf states in recent years.
Given the financial and technological capacity of the UAE compared to Egypt, scientific cooperation, tourism exchange and academic cooperation will lead to an additional diminution of Egypt's influence, and to accelerate the pace of initiatives similar to normalization, according to the report.
The worse for Cairo is that visits to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem will soon be arranged via Abu Dhabi, which adds elegance to the reputation of the UAE, as the report says, Egypt was unable to do so due to popular resistance to normalization.
These concerns should not cast a shadow over the important aspects of Egyptian-Israeli cooperation that are still in effect, as the report advises, as Cairo will remain a major partner in combating terrorism in the Sinai, facilitating the Gaza talks, and cooperating in natural gas projects.
The report expects that Sisi will try to persuade Washington to resume the Israeli-Palestinian talks soon, in order for Cairo to save face and reaffirm its importance in the region.
After normalization
On the other hand, the former Chairman of Al-Ahram Board of Directors, Abdel Moneim Saeed, confirmed that the great normalization agreement was between Egypt and Israel, and the Emirati normalization came as a step to stop the bleeding of losses in the region.
Saeed added in televised statements that Sisi had the courage to establish the East Mediterranean Forum, in which he brought together Palestine and Israel, pointing out that Cairo has a vision to prepare for the post-agreement, and Egypt is striving to invite all parties to peace.
Saeed, who is known for his support for normalization, stressed that Egypt will continue to bear the Palestinian cause on its shoulders, in a circumstance in which the Arab world is exposed to "a breakdown during the so-called Arab Spring," as he put it.