As unrest in Egypt continues, no formal leader has emerged who can represent the variety of protesters who have taken to the street, leaving it unclear who will negotiate with the regime on the protesters’ behalf.
The current protests in Tunisia and Egypt and the subsequent unrest in the region provide an incentive for Arab states to address political reform and the Arab-Israeli peace process in tandem.
The unrest in Egypt is growing increasingly violent and the longer the protests continue, the more difficult it will be for the Mubarak regime and the protesters to reach an agreement.
As Egypt hovers on threshold of transition toward democratic governance, the current regime has an opportunity to administer a peaceful transition of power by responding to the demands of the Egyptian people.
A major change in the Egyptian government might affect Egypt’s policy toward Gaza and its role in the Arab League, but it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
While the crisis in Egypt will have major implications across the Arab world, the peace process will not be significantly affected. The country that will be most crucial in charting a new path forward for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is Saudi Arabia, not Egypt.
Lasting security in Russia can only be established when the problems of the North Caucasus are resolved. Society itself must initiate serious discussion on the North Caucasus and the ethnic tensions plaguing Russia, formulate proposals, and present demands to the authorities.
Other Arab regimes are right to worry about the possibility of an uprising in their own nations; the same combination of economic hardship, political corruption, and repression that inspired protests in Tunisia and Egypt exist in all Arab countries outside the Gulf.
A change in Egyptian leadership would bring to end nearly three decades of uninterrupted rule and have significant implications for the region’s balance of power.
In the wake of the protests in Tunisia and Egypt, the United States has an opportunity to assist countries transition into stable democracies and to pressure allies in the Arab world to implement reforms before it is too late.