Egypt's Political Chaos is Starting to Spill Into Israel

Israeli armed forces announced on Tuesday that they intercepted a missile originating from the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. Iron Dome, Israel's missile shield system, blocked the missile on its trajectory towards the city of Eilat. Mujahideen Shura Council, an umbrella organization consisting of six Sunni Islamist groups including Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack and described it as an act of revenge against Israel for its drone bombing. This attack highlights Egypt's increasing instability marked by the recent revolutions, and protests by unsatisfied supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Egyptian military government must immediately re-establish a democratic state by hosting elections. It must stand firmly against extremists and act forcibly against terrorist organizations. With a strong government in place that the people of Egypt can trust, the country will become an American ally build a more secure Middle East.

In this particular instance, Israel and Egypt have maintained their cooperation over controlling the Islamist forces. However, without a stable, democratic government the Egyptian military government cannot properly uproot terrorist forces. It is a great asset to the country of Egypt that the military is not only opposes extremist factions within the country, but also creates an environment that is unwelcoming to terrorist groups. In order for this to happen national elections must be scheduled immediately. The interim government must maintain the legitimacy of the leadership in the eyes of its people. Numerous problems accompany popular elections, but the military must work to ensure that they will be fair.

Once the new government is installed, the protests over Morsi should dissipate. The newly elected government has the authority of the people, and it will be better suited to combat terrorism with the majority of Egyptians supporting their government. The Sinai Peninsula, which has become a home to many sub-Saharan refugees, Al-Qaeda operatives, and Bedouin criminals will become safer with a new stronger Egyptian government. The government will be able to put in place security measures with Israel to ensure that the peninsula is free from criminal activity. A secure Egypt will reverberate with the rest of the Middle East and provide the impetus for similar democratic changes in the rest of the region.