Very Strange Bedfellows Indeed

The two countries screaming the loudest for the world (and especially the United States) to back off of Hosni Mubarak's regime in Egypt are Saudi Arabia...and Israel.

Israel called on the United States and a number of European countries over the weekend to curb their criticism of President Hosni Mubarak to preserve stability in the region.

Jerusalem seeks to convince its allies that it is in the West's interest to maintain the stability of the Egyptian regime. The diplomatic measures came after statements in Western capitals implying that the United States and European Union supported Mubarak's ouster.

Israeli officials are keeping a low profile on the events in Egypt, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even ordering cabinet members to avoid commenting publicly on the issue.

Senior Israeli officials, however, said that on Saturday night the Foreign Ministry issued a directive to around a dozen key embassies in the United States, Canada, China, Russia and several European countries. The ambassadors were told to stress to their host countries the importance of Egypt's stability. In a special cable, they were told to get this word out as soon as possible. 

Israel especially is pulling the hard line that they don't really give a damn about Egypt's democracy or freedom or whatever the hell if there's a chance that whomever replaces Mubarak may become a problem on Israel's western border.

"The Americans and the Europeans are being pulled along by public opinion and aren't considering their genuine interests," one senior Israeli official said. "Even if they are critical of Mubarak they have to make their friends feel that they're not alone. Jordan and Saudi Arabia see the reactions in the West, how everyone is abandoning Mubarak, and this will have very serious implications." 

Democracy is relative, apparently.  It usually is when it comes to strongman secular regimes clamping down on a Muslim nation, but Egypt isn't terribly religious to begin with, not after 30 years of Mubarak.  The truth is Israel was more than happy to have Mubarak be a ruthless bastard to his own people:  it saved Israel the trouble of having to mess with the western border into Gaza.

Now the Israelis and the Saudis are nervous, and any time both of them are on the same side on an issue, you can bet the US will follow.  Don't count on the US helping to oust Mubarak, either.