the Egyptians discover Palestinians on their border

On Saturday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was busy making claims for the Palestinians in Egypt. On Sunday, he was rebuffed:

“Egypt has made it clear that it does not want to be responsible for providing the Gaza Strip with fuel and electricity,” a senior Hamas official in Gaza City told The Jerusalem Post. “They have informed us that the Gaza Strip must remain Israel’s problem.”

The talk about economic separation from Israel is said to have enraged Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who expressed fear that such a move would increase pressure on him to assume responsibility for the Gaza Strip.

The idea, which has been welcomed by Israel, was first floated by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh over the weekend.

In remarks published by the Hamas-affiliated Falasteen newspaper, Haniyeh said that “Gaza must maintain stronger economic links with Egypt as a way of economic disconnection from Israel.” He said Hamas was seeking to disconnect the Strip’s economy from Israel and receive food, fuel and electricity from Egypt.

“We said during our election campaign in 2006 that we are seeking to move toward an economic disengagement from the Israeli occupation,” Haniyeh said. “Egypt has a greater ability to meet the needs of Gaza.”

One would think that at least Egypt would show an interest in meeting the needs of Gaza. But one would be wrong.

That is among the tragedies of the Palestinians: after they fled (or were forced to flee) their land, their fellow Arabs shunned them, marginalized them, and kicked them to the curb—and used them as a cudgel with which to beat the Israelis.

Unable to solve its problems with Fatah and Israel, Hamas has now enlarged its entire problem—this time ensnaring Egypt in its trap.