Al-Gomhuria: Wall an "expression of sovereignty"

The editorial starts by noting Arab criticism of the wall -- which it dubs "rockets launched against Egypt." But Gomhuria faults the wall's critics for failing to distinguish between "the right of Egypt's sovereignty... and the right of the resistance [Hamas] to obtain weapons."

Critics are trying to portray Egypt as contributing to the blockade against the Palestinians, as cracking down on arms smuggling and imports.

They forget that the smuggling of weapons through tunnels under the Sinai is a direct assault on Egypt's sovereignty -- on the legitimacy of the state.

[...] It has been said that Egypt's security is not threatened by the Palestinians. This may be true. But we are threatened by Israel. If incited, the Jewish state could turn the world against us; this means economic sanctions. The Security Council could impose economic sanctions against Egypt, or impose international sanctions on Egyptian territory to deal with the smuggling.

The editorial also explains why the Egyptian government brought in American contractors to help with the construction:

Egypt searched for the best technology available to build the wall. It was found in the United States, which has established a wall on the border with Mexico to prevent smuggling and the illegal immigration of people who want to work in the United States.

We mentioned yesterday that smugglers don't seem too concerned about the new wall; they say they'll simply dig deeper. Still, a group of gunmen opened fire on work crews earlier today, damaging some equipment and temporarily halting construction. Nobody was injured. The gunfire came from the Palestinian side of the border, just north of the Rafah border crossing, according to Egyptian security sources.

There were also reports of a shooting at the Kerem Shalom border crossing: An Egyptian guard was reportedly killed by smugglers trying to bring drugs and African migrants into Israel.