{"id":54775,"date":"2025-08-08T11:57:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T16:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=54775"},"modified":"2026-01-20T04:14:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T10:14:10","slug":"the-new-crescent-political-realities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=54775","title":{"rendered":"The New Crescent: Political Realities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?page_id=64110\">New Crescent series<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=54820\">Next in the series<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The implementation of <em><strong>The New Crescent<\/strong><\/em> is complicated by political realities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 41%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">people have been nursing grudges for generations, centuries, millennia&#8230;.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">there&#8217;s a lot of money (and power) to be made exploiting people&#8217;s suffering<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">psychopaths, sociopaths, sadists &#8211; they exist in all same proportions in all populations; some societies are better than others with keeping them in check.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">incredibly high unemployment among young men. Idle hands, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">the group with the deepest pockets (by far) is controlled by insane people who think they have a religious obligation to bring about the end of the world, using two small tribes in a god-forsaken desert to accomplish their goals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dpr1mq6VQub6sP96ROvr-0-d4y0x.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54776 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dpr1mq6VQub6sP96ROvr-0-d4y0x.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dpr1mq6VQub6sP96ROvr-0-d4y0x-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/UqNu56wZMzsYp86e9Lia-0-8vnsm-1.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"54781\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/UqNu56wZMzsYp86e9Lia-0-8vnsm-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54781\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/UqNu56wZMzsYp86e9Lia-0-8vnsm-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/UqNu56wZMzsYp86e9Lia-0-8vnsm-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/UqNu56wZMzsYp86e9Lia-0-8vnsm-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rafah<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s look at a microcosm of this insanity: the city of Rafah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rafah, the city that <strong>Elder G<\/strong> recommended as the eastern boarder for <em><strong>The New Crescent<\/strong><\/em>, sounds like hell on earth. In 1982, Israel split the city in half, much like East Berlin\/West Berlin, with west Rafah belonging to Egypt, and the eastern half (separated by barbed wire) was the Gaza side of Rafah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rafah_0011.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" data-id=\"54784\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rafah_0011.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54784\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rafah_0011.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rafah_0011-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rafah_0011-768x480.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0051.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"401\" height=\"650\" data-id=\"54791\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0051.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54791\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0051.jpg 401w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0051-185x300.jpg 185w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0050.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"762\" data-id=\"54792\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0050.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54792\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0050.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0050-197x300.jpg 197w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250806_0036.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1488\" height=\"754\" data-id=\"54793\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250806_0036.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54793\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250806_0036.jpg 1488w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250806_0036-300x152.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250806_0036-1024x519.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250806_0036-768x389.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250806_0036-1200x608.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1488px) 100vw, 1488px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Rafah <\/strong>(Arabic: \u0631\u0641\u062d, IPA: [\u02c8\u027e\u0251f\u0251\u0127]) <em><u><strong>was<\/strong><\/u><\/em> a city in North Sinai and Egypt&#8217;s eastern border with the Gaza Strip, Palestine. It is the capital of Rafah center in North Sinai Governorate, and is situated on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rafah is the site of the Rafah Border Crossing, the sole crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian government announced in early 2015 that it would raze the entire city and build a new settlement for its residents, in order to expand a security buffer between Egypt and Gaza Strip. The Egyptian military began bulldozing sections of Rafah in late 2014. By 2021, the Egyptian military had demolished at least 7,460 buildings in Rafah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0048.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1298\" height=\"624\" data-id=\"54786\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0048.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0048.jpg 1298w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0048-300x144.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0048-1024x492.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0048-768x369.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250808_0048-1200x577.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1298px) 100vw, 1298px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Economy<\/strong><br>Rafah is in a Mediterranean climate zone and agriculture thrives. Due to rain, hail and sleet; the city has plentiful sources of water for agriculture. Mediterranean fruits and crops are dominant, such as: peaches, olives, apples, citrus fruits, dates, grapes, vegetables, strawberries and peppers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:59% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Smuggling_tunnel_in_Rafah_2009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54787 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Smuggling_tunnel_in_Rafah_2009.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Smuggling_tunnel_in_Rafah_2009-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Smuggling_tunnel_in_Rafah_2009-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smuggling to the Gaza Strip has been a major source of income for Bedouin tribesmen, using over 1,200 smuggling tunnels to smuggle food, weapons and other goods into Gaza. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The size of the tunnel trade was even greater than the volume of trade through official channels. The tunnels had been essential to recover from the destructions during the 2008\/2009 Gaza War. Based on the materials allowed in by Israel, it would have taken 80 years to rebuild the 6,000 housing units destroyed during the military operation. Due to the tunnel imports, it only took five years. Gaza&#8217;s sole power plant ran on diesel from Egypt brought through the tunnels in the range of 1 million litres per day before June 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On 11 August 2014 the IDF announced they had successfully tested a system that could be used to detect these tunnels. This new system uses a combination of sensors and special transmitters to locate tunnels. The IDF expects development to cost up to NIS 1.5 billion [ed. note: about $500M USD], and could be deployed within the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"ed-note\">[ed. note: the Egyptian authorities hate the tunnels too. The Israel and Egyptian military, in a rare show of solidarity, work together to shut down these tunnels.]<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2013, following the 2013 Egyptian coup d&#8217;\u00e9tat that ousted the pro-Hamas government, the Egyptian army has destroyed many of the tunnels, with the effect that &#8220;prices have soared, shelves are empty, utilities have suspended operations for lack of fuel and travel is restricted once again&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2013, the Egyptian military started resorting to a pungent new tactic to shut down the smuggling tunnels connecting Sinai and Gaza: <em>flooding them with sewage<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On 11 September 2015, the Egyptian army began to pump water from the Mediterranean Sea into the tunnels. A number of Palestinian factions condemned the flooding of the border with sea water, because it posed a serious threat to the environment and ground water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0001.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"54797\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0001.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0001-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0001-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0003.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"54795\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0003.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54795\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0003.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0003-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0003-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0005.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"54796\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0005.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54796\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0005.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0005-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0005-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0004.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"54799\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0004.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0004.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0004-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0004-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0002.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"54798\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0002.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54798\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0002.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0002-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/flooded_0002-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By mid-2018, the Egyptian military had destroyed at least 6,850 buildings in the city of Rafah, and from August 2016 to August 2019, the Egyptian army destroyed and closed 3,500 hectares of farmland. Subsequently, the number of buildings destroyed by the Egyptians rose to 7,460.<\/p>\n<cite><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rafah,_Egypt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wikipedia<\/a> \/ Image [By Marius Arnesen &#8211; https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/anarkistix\/3464809713, CC BY-SA 2.0]<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a Wikipedia article dedicated to the Rafah tunnels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Gaza Strip smuggling tunnels<\/strong> are smuggling tunnels that had been dug under the Philadelphi Route along the Egypt\u2013Gaza border. They were dug to subvert the blockade of the Gaza Strip to smuggle in fuel, food, weapons and other goods into the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed with the destruction of smuggling tunnels, arguing that they had produced 1,800 millionaires,<\/p>\n<cite><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gaza_Strip_smuggling_tunnels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With this work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit, how could <strong><em>The New Crescent<\/em><\/strong> fail?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0003.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" data-id=\"54801\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0003.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54801\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0003.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0003-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0003-768x431.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0004.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"54810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0004.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54810\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0004.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0004-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0004-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0008.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"624\" data-id=\"54805\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0008.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54805\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0008.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0008-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0008-768x468.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0007.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"54806\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0007.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54806\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0007.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0007-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0007-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0007-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0010.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"54803\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0010.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54803\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0010.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0010-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0010-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0009.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"711\" data-id=\"54807\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54807\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0009.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0009-300x208.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0009-768x533.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0011.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" data-id=\"54804\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0011.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54804\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0011.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0011-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0011-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0012.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"934\" data-id=\"54809\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0012.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54809\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0012.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0012-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0012-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0012-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0012-1200x801.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0001.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" data-id=\"54802\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54802\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0001.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0001-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0001-768x431.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0002.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"54808\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0002.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54808\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0002.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0002-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tunnels_0002-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The United Nations Relief and Works Agency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>United Nations Relief and Works Agency<\/strong> (UNRWA) for Palestine refuges in the near east, gets a lot of hate. The haters are the usual gang of idiots (pendejo GOP pundits, magaTs and Israel authorities), who benefit from crippling their aid efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-7 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250807_0042.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"402\" data-id=\"54857\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250807_0042.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54857\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250807_0042.jpg 795w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250807_0042-300x152.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250807_0042-768x388.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">The organization details the accusations and their response here: <br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unrwa.org\/unrwa-claims-versus-facts-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.unrwa.org\/unrwa-claims-versus-facts-2025<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"551\" height=\"604\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250807_0041.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54858 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250807_0041.jpg 551w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/irl_250807_0041-274x300.jpg 274w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 551px) 100vw, 551px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyone who feeds hungry babies is cool with <strong>WLBOTT<\/strong>. Anyone who spreads lies to starve the Palestinians is the worst kind of evil.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default wp-block-gallery-8 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_fa_mr.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1477\" data-id=\"54866\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_fa_mr.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54866\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_fa_mr.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_fa_mr-244x300.jpg 244w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_fa_mr-832x1024.jpg 832w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_fa_mr-768x945.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_f2a_mr.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1243\" data-id=\"54865\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_f2a_mr.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54865\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_f2a_mr.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_f2a_mr-290x300.jpg 290w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_f2a_mr-989x1024.jpg 989w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unrwa_in_action_2025_f2a_mr-768x796.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">Click for full size, or view the UNRWA pdf document here:<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unrwa.org\/sites\/default\/files\/content\/resources\/unrwa_in_action_2025_f.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.unrwa.org\/sites\/default\/files\/content\/resources\/unrwa_in_action_2025_f.pdf<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the Tension Between Egypt and Palestine?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we were researching <strong><em>The New Crescent<\/em><\/strong>, we were puzzled by the tension between Egypt and Palestine. Wouldn&#8217;t they be natural allies? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We asked Elder G to help us understand. S\/he begins with this statement: &#8221; &#8216;<strong>Complicated<\/strong>&#8216; might be the understatement of the century. The situation between Palestine, Israel, and Egypt sits at the crossroads of history, religion, geopolitics, and economics, and every layer you peel back reveals more interwoven threads.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s the very condensed lay of the land as it relates to <strong>The New Crescent<\/strong> concept:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Gaza &amp; Egypt (Rafah crossing)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Gaza shares a short border with Egypt in the south (Rafah).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Egypt\u2019s role is both humanitarian and security-focused \u2014 controlling the flow of goods and people, sometimes opening for aid, sometimes closing due to security concerns or political pressure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">The Egyptian Sinai Peninsula right next door is sparsely populated but strategically important \u2014 and in your New Crescent vision, it could be a candidate for shared development zones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Gaza &amp; Israel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Israel controls most of Gaza\u2019s borders, airspace, and coastline.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">The Gaza blockade (since 2007) has heavily restricted imports, exports, and movement, creating economic hardship.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Any large-scale infrastructure project (like our desalination plants or solar farms) would require agreement from Israel and, realistically, international oversight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. West Bank &amp; Israel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">The West Bank is separated from Gaza entirely, surrounded by Israel and bordered to the east by Jordan.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">The West Bank\u2019s water access and land use are highly regulated, and any integration with The New Crescent would involve bridging political and geographic gaps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4. Egypt\u2019s strategic incentives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Egypt has an interest in stability along the Rafah border \u2014 unrest in Gaza can spill into Sinai.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">A New Crescent-style economic development could appeal to Egypt if it promises jobs, investment, and stability in its own border regions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>5. The humanitarian angle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">A project framed as regional cooperation for clean water, renewable energy, and agriculture could get buy-in from NGOs, UN agencies, and donor countries \u2014 even if political agreements are slow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-9 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/carte-rafah-border-crossing.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"980\" height=\"794\" data-id=\"54818\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/carte-rafah-border-crossing.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54818\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/carte-rafah-border-crossing.jpg 980w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/carte-rafah-border-crossing-300x243.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/carte-rafah-border-crossing-768x622.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It seems counterintuitive at first glance \u2014 after all, Gaza and Egypt are both majority-Arab, majority-Muslim, and geographically adjacent \u2014 but Egypt\u2019s approach to the Rafah border has been shaped by a mix of <strong>security, political, and economic concerns<\/strong> that go back decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s the breakdown of why Egypt\u2019s policy looks the way it does:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Security threats from militant activity in Sinai<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">The Sinai Peninsula has had a persistent insurgency, particularly since 2011, involving groups affiliated with ISIS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Some of these militants have reportedly moved through tunnels between Gaza and Sinai. Egypt sees the border as a chokepoint to prevent weapons, fighters, and explosives from moving in either direction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">To disrupt tunnel networks, Egypt demolished buildings on its side of Rafah and created a <strong>buffer zone<\/strong> up to 1 km wide, eventually extending to about 5 km in some areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Political tension with Hamas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Egypt\u2019s government, especially since President Sisi came to power in 2013, is hostile to the Muslim Brotherhood, which it considers a terrorist organization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Hamas, which governs Gaza, is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Cairo sees Hamas as both a security risk and a political threat to its own regime.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">This makes Egypt cautious about letting goods and people move freely, as it fears strengthening Hamas\u2019s hold on Gaza.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Controlling smuggling and black-market economies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Before the bulldozing, hundreds of smuggling tunnels under Rafah fueled a large underground economy, moving everything from fuel to livestock.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Egypt worried that this trade undercut its own customs revenue, weakened its economic control in Sinai, and empowered non-state actors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4. Balancing international relationships<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Egypt is in a delicate position: it\u2019s a mediator in Israeli\u2013Palestinian ceasefire talks and receives significant U.S. military aid partly because of its peace treaty with Israel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Maintaining a tight border with Gaza reassures Israel and the U.S. that Egypt is not allowing a free flow of arms or militants.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">At the same time, Egypt occasionally opens Rafah for humanitarian aid to signal support for the Palestinian people \u2014 but in a controlled, episodic way.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>5. Sinai\u2019s strategic fragility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Sinai is sparsely populated, difficult to police, and historically restive (Bedouin grievances, lack of economic development).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">The Egyptian state fears that uncontrolled movement from Gaza could further destabilize Sinai, turning it into a haven for insurgents or a spillover conflict zone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Why it feels counterintuitive<\/strong><br>It\u2019s easy to think that shared identity (Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern) would mean solidarity \u2014 and there <em>is<\/em> public sympathy in Egypt for the people of Gaza. But from the state\u2019s perspective, <strong>national security and regime stability outweigh pan-Arab solidarity<\/strong>, especially when non-state armed groups are involved.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Elder G<\/strong> provides some additional details&#8230;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s Going On at Rafah? Egypt\u2019s Border Strategy Explained<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Security Priorities: Buffer Zones &amp; Wall Construction<\/strong><br>Egypt has bulldozed a large swath of land\u2014sometimes more than 2 miles wide\u2014on its side of the Sinai to create a fortified buffer zone along the Rafah \/ Gaza border, including a tall wall. This was done to disrupt smuggling tunnels, deter militant infiltration, and act as a buffer against potential security spillover.(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unocha.org\/publications\/map\/occupied-palestinian-territory\/occupied-palestinian-territories-south-gaza-rafah-situation-map?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">OCHA<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Sinai&#8217;s Persistent Instability<\/strong><br>Sinai has long struggled with an Islamist insurgency, including ISIS-affiliated groups. Egypt fears that an influx of displaced Palestinians\u2014especially militants moving under the guise of refugees\u2014could undermine years of counterinsurgency efforts.(<a href=\"https:\/\/prismeinitiative.org\/publications\/egypts-balancing-borders-stability-gaza-war-jaida-aboulfotouh-yara-ahmed\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Prisme Initiative<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sinai_option?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wikipedia<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Preventing Forced Displacement and Preserving Palestinian Sovereignty<\/strong><br>Egypt refuses to facilitate what it sees as a forced relocation of Gazans into Sinai, comparing this to the legacy of the 1948 Nakba. Cairo sees such displacement not only as a security risk, but also as a political betrayal of the Palestinian cause, undermining the possibility of eventual return.(<a href=\"https:\/\/prismeinitiative.org\/publications\/egypts-balancing-borders-stability-gaza-war-jaida-aboulfotouh-yara-ahmed\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Prisme Initiative<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sinai_option?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wikipedia<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6330904\/palestinians-gaza-fear-permanent-expulsion\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TIME<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4. Counteracting Smuggling\u2014Especially Tunnels<\/strong><br>Rafah has long been a hub for smuggling\u2014fuel, arms, goods, and more\u2014through underground tunnel networks into Sinai. The buffer zone, wall, and demolitions are meant to sever those routes.(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/reports\/2004\/rafah1004\/8.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Human Rights Watch<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>5. Political Signaling &amp; International Balancing Act<\/strong><br>By tightening its border, Egypt sends reassurance to Israel and the U.S. that it&#8217;s not allowing Gaza to become a security threat. At the same time, Egypt occasionally allows humanitarian aid to cross, maintaining some level of support for Gaza under tight control.(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodmorningamerica.com\/news\/story\/rafah-crossing-people-aid-stuck-egypt-border-gaza-104016070?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">goodmorningamerica.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>6. Reasons Why Egypt\u2019s Aggressive Border Posture Might Seem Counterintuitive<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Reason<\/th><th>Egypt&#8217;s Motivation<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1. Shared identity<\/td><td>While there is public sympathy for Gaza, the government prioritizes national stability and regional security.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2. Insurgency in Sinai<\/td><td>Gaza-related instability could reignite armed threats in Egypt\u2019s under-policed border region.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3. Fear of mass influx<\/td><td>Egypt resists being seen as a substitute host country or participating in ethnic displacement.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4. Smuggling destabilization<\/td><td>Tunnels fueled illicit trade and armed flows\u2014buffer zones aim to stop that.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5. U.S. &amp; Israel relations<\/td><td>A controlled border positions Egypt as a responsible regional partner.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6. Refugee burden &amp; optics<\/td><td>Hosting refugees could spark internal unrest and erode its role as mediator.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While it may appear harsh, Egypt&#8217;s border enforcement is deeply influenced by both pragmatic security concerns and strategic regional positioning\u2014not necessarily a reflection of sentiment toward the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Crescent series \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Next in the series The implementation of The New Crescent is complicated by political realities: Rafah Let&#8217;s look at a microcosm of this insanity: the city of Rafah. Rafah, the city that Elder G recommended as the eastern boarder for The New Crescent, sounds like hell on earth. In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[91,166,165,164],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-egypt","category-israel","category-palestine","category-the-new-crescent"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=54775"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64141,"href":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54775\/revisions\/64141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=54775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=54775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=54775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}