Why Is Egypt’s Gaza Blockade Ignored?

When humanitarian aid is blocked from reaching Gaza, it is not just Israel who holds the keys. Egypt is also keeping its borders shut, yet few seem willing to say so. This selective outrage reveals a dangerous propaganda game that may be fuelling antisemitism more than compassion.

By Sean Ash 




Only one country is consistently condemned for Gaza. Only one appears on protest banners, in slogans, and in international outrage. That country is Israel.


But Egypt has upheld a 16-year blockade on Gaza from the Rafah crossing. It enforces border closures, restricts aid, and controls what goes in and out of Gaza’s southern frontier. Jordan has a peace treaty with Israel and coordinates security and intelligence. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain have all deepened ties with Israel in recent years. They understand the threat posed by Hamas and the complexities of the region. And yet, none of them are accused of ethnic cleansing. None are labelled apartheid states. None are targeted in the streets of London, Paris, or New York. The silence surrounding their roles is deliberate.


This is not about who has the right to act. It is about why only Israel is ever called out for doing so.


Israel is far from perfect. Its policies can be criticised. Its actions must be scrutinised like any other state. But if you condemn Israel for defending itself against rocket fire, while excusing Egypt for sealing its borders to keep Hamas out, your outrage is not about human rights. It is about reinforcing a political narrative.


It becomes more evident when violence occurs. When Hamas militants slaughtered civilians at a music festival, many Palestinian supporters laughed. Social media was flooded with celebration, not sorrow. When Israeli civilians are murdered or kidnapped, there is mockery. No solidarity. No empathy.


But when those same voices cry out for justice as bombs fall on Gaza, the double standard is glaring. You cannot cheer the deaths of someone’s children and then demand that person grieve yours. That is not how humanity works.


Palestinian suffering is real. It is horrific. But it is also being used. It is weaponised to build a one-sided story in which one country is always evil, and every other actor is conveniently forgotten. Gaza is not only surrounded by Israel. It is bordered by Egypt. It is part of a region shaped by Arab states that have grown closer to Israel, not further from it. And yet, none of that appears in the chant. None of that appears in the protest sign.


Only Israel is named.


This is not fairness. This is propaganda. And when it singles out the only Jewish state while ignoring neighbouring Muslim governments doing the same or worse, it starts to look like something far darker.


You can care about Palestinians. You should. But if your compassion demands silence about Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Hamas itself, then what you are supporting is not peace. It is prejudice.


Palestinian lives matter. Israeli lives matter. But if you grieve only one, and justify the suffering of the other, you are not speaking for justice. You are speaking for hate.


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