Global Reaction to Egypt’s Turmoil: Three Things to Know

The military intervention that removed President Mohammed Morsi from power has spurred an international debate regarding Egypt’s political trajectory. Steven Cook, CFR’s senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, highlights three things to know about the response and its consequences:

Anti-Muslim Brotherhood Countries Offer Aid: Countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates have offered Egypt $12 billion in assistance for its transition "because they dislike the Muslim Brotherhood and what the Muslim Brotherhood stands for," according to Cook. Egypt, which has been locked in an economic struggle, "desperately needs" the funds.

A Cautious U.S./Israeli Approach: The United States "has been reluctant to label the military intervention a coup d’état," says Cook. Under U.S. law, the government cannot provide aid to countries where a military coup has taken place. Washington must now debate if the government will continue to provide $1.3 billion dollars in its annual assistance package to the government. The Israeli government remains as cautious as it was when former president Hosni Mubarak fell from power in 2011. "For the first time in thirty years," says Cook, "the Israelis have had to pay closer attention to their southwest border."

A Diplomatic Setback for Turkey: Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the military intervention. Turkey, which had begun to foster closer diplomatic ties between its ruling Justice and Development Party and the Muslim Brotherhood, is now "confronted with a strategic setback in the region as a result of President Morsi’s fall," argues Cook.