In October, the eyes of the world once again turned to the Middle East and the horrific violence that has been unfolding in Israel-Palestine, including the Israeli military’s relentless assault on Gaza. For years “stability” had been misrepresented especially in the West as “peace” – not only in Israel-Palestine but also in neighbouring Egypt. The United States and other Western governments are supporting “stable” authoritarian regimes in the region, and trading “arms for peace”, often at great cost to local populations. While almost 68 million Egyptians were living on just USD 5.50 a day in 2020, President El-Sisi’s government was spending 4.0 billion USD on defence and national security. Since his coup in 2013, President Sisi has ruled the country in an increasingly repressive fashion, while also receiving over USD 1 billion in military aid each year. Meanwhile, a key US senator was recently indicted on corruption charges relating to Egypt. As Egyptians are taking to the polls for their presidential election in December, come join Corruption Tracker to discuss: What is the wider context of harm caused by military partnerships with Egypt and other countries in the region? What does military corruption mean to Egyptian activists and how can we build better relationships based on solidarity with the Egyptian people?
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