The mass protests that have shaken the Middle East, particularly those in Egypt that brought down Hosni Mubarak, have caused considerable anxiety in Israel, as well as prompting a new source of friction with the US. While initially refraining from public comment on the turmoil in Egypt, Israel then lobbied the US aggressively in support of the embattled Egyptian leader-thereby angering the US administration, which had come to the conclusion that Mr Mubarak had to go.

At a January 31st press conference with the visiting German chancellor, Angela Merkel, Mr Netanyahu articulated Israel's fears regarding a possible Muslim Brotherhood takeover of Egypt and opined that conditions for democracy in Egypt were not yet in place. Following Mr Mubarak's ousting, the Egyptian military leadership announced that it would continue to honour the country's 32-year-old peace treaty with Israel, and Mr Barak quickly established direct contact with the new interim leader, Mohammed Hussein Tantawi. However, the future of Israeli-Egyptian relations remains fraught. The pipeline transporting Egyptian gas to Jordan was badly damaged by a bomb attack on February 4th, forcing a shutdown of the pipeline to Israel as well. The attack was the most evident and worrying sign that Egyptian security has lost control of the Sinai Peninsula adjacent to Israel. Much to Israel's consternation, Egyptian officials also gave their permission for two Iranian naval ships to pass through the Suez Canal on their way to Syria-the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that Iran has sought to show its presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.