A Perspective Often Overlooked: When the Story Is Told in Halves From Cairo, the capital of a country rarely called "rich" by economic standards—

 A Perspective Often Overlooked: When the Story Is Told in Halves

From Cairo, the capital of a country rarely called "rich" by economic standards—

but one that’s long been rich in conscience—this is a perspective.

We do not write to defend or attack.

Only to complete a picture,

often shown in fragments,

or distorted by silence.

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The Rafah Crossing: Numbers Don’t Lie

Since the beginning of the war on Gaza,

global media outlets have frequently highlighted Rafah,

the only border between Egypt and Gaza,

without equal focus on the four crossings controlled by Israel:

Kerem Shalom (main crossing for goods)

Erez (for individuals)

Nahal Oz (previously for fuel – now closed)

Shuja’iyya (permanently closed)

🔗 Source: UNOCHA – Gaza Crossings Overview

https://www.ochaopt.org

Rarely mentioned is the historical fact that Rafah was designed primarily for pedestrian movement, not goods.

More crucially, Israel has military control over nearly all access points into Gaza,

including airspace and the area near the Rafah gate itself—

which has been bombed multiple times during the war.

🔗 WHO Statement on Rafah Bombing (May 2024)

who.int/news/item/2024

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When Egypt Speaks: A Moment of Clarity

In a recent address at the 2025 Humanitarian Summit,

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stated:

> “History will pause at this moment.

And it will hold those who remained silent as accountable

as those who took part.”

🔗 Official transcript (SIS):

www.sis.gov.eg

This was not rhetoric.

It was a clear position against forced displacement,

and a refusal to let Egypt become the easy answer to a complex tragedy

in which it had no part in causing—

nor in controlling.

Yet the global reaction?

Often focused on whether Egypt was doing "enough",

with little attention to whether Israel was allowing anything at all.

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The Bigger Picture: More Than Just Borders

What’s happening in Gaza is not isolated.

It fits into a broader global pattern:

The Red Sea and Suez matter in global trade

Africa is being reshaped by external competition

Taiwan, Ukraine, and Iran all reflect a changing world order

And Europe, once distant, now feels the heat of proximity

Egypt, despite economic strain,

is playing a calculated, resilient role in the middle of these intersections.

Not with dramatic moves—

but with measured stability.

🔗 Foreign Affairs: "Neutrals in the New World Order”

foreignaffairs.com/articles/2025

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Why This Perspective Matters

Because narratives don’t always fail by lies—

sometimes they fail by omission.

And because there is a difference between a country that "can’t do everything"

and one that "won’t do anything."

Egypt may not dominate headlines,

but it bears more than its fair share of pressure:

Hosting millions of refugees without loud declarations

Maintaining borders and internal stability

And resisting turning a humanitarian disaster into a political opportunity

We don’t ask for praise.

Only for context.

And for those interested in the full picture—

to look again.