U.S. President Joe Biden (Joe Biden) is facing new scrutiny of U.S.-Egypt relations after 11 days in the U.S.-Egypt relationship-and his pledge to accept Abdel Fattah Sisi (Abdel Fattah). el-Sisi) the promise of human rights violations implemented by the presidential government. Deadly violence In the Gaza Strip.

Washington this month relied heavily on Egyptian mediators, who shuttled between Tel Aviv and Gaza to reach and maintain Ceasefire Between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian territories besieged by Palestine.

As a result, the Biden administration has been faced with lingering problems regarding its commitment to Egypt’s “human rights-centered” commitment. Egypt has long been an interlocutor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is one of the few countries with which it interacts. Israel and Hamas.

The President of the United States has previously Say Elsisi is known as the “favorite dictator” of “predecessor Donald Trump” and “there are no more blank checks”, but some human rights activists say that Biden has not fulfilled this promise.

Sarah Leah Whitson, the executive director of democracy at DAWN, a think tank based in Washington, DC, said: “Again, we don’t see any change.”

“[Antony] Brinken did not meet with any civil society representative during his stay in Cairo. Visit the capital of Egypt Supported a ceasefire last week.

“What he said about human rights was nothing more than [former Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo and the Trump administration before him. “

“Strategic Partnership”

According to the White House, during the two calls between Biden and Elsisi this month (this is the first time since Biden took office in January). The President of the United States “thanks to Egypt for its successful diplomacy.” The statement added: “President Biden emphasized the importance of constructive dialogue on human rights in Egypt.”

During his visit to Cairo on Wednesday, Brinken also confirmed the “strategic partnership” between the United States and Egypt.

He told reporters that he had “long human rights discussions and exchanges” with Egyptian leaders, who came to power in 2013 Military coup Overthrew President Mohamed Morsi (Mohamed Morsi). El-Sisi is the nearest Re-elected in 2018After his main challenger was arrested and several candidates dropped out due to intimidation, he faced little opposition.

Seth Binder, a propaganda officer for the Middle East Democracy Project (POMED), said the gratitude of the Biden administration “misunderstood” the situation and sent the wrong message to Cairo.

Today is an important meeting with Egyptian President Sisi. I conveyed President Biden’s appreciation for Egypt’s important mediation efforts in support of the ceasefire and confirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt. pic.twitter.com/NzW83ivpAC

-Secretary Anthony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 26, 2021

He told Al Jazeera: “The Egyptians did this out of their own interests.” “We don’t need to bend back to congratulate them for what they have done. This is in their interests.

“We can still work with them to promote a ceasefire, while putting pressure on them and continue to put human rights in the relationship.”

The “Usefulness” of El-Sisi

Michel Dunn, director and senior researcher of the Middle East Program of the Carnegie Foundation for International Peace, said that for Elsisi, the time for mediation in Gaza has always been “Nana from the sky.”

Dunn told Al Jazeera that when the Biden administration tried to focus its foreign policy in the Middle East and the rest of the world, and allowed El Sisi to “show what he can do,” this increased the relevance of the Egyptian leader.

She pointed out that this time the Egyptian president accepted the political interest of serving as a mediator in Hamas, and The Gaza War in 2014, He regarded Hamas as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and supported Israel’s aggression.

Dunn said: “I am convinced that Sisi hopes that his usefulness in dealing with Hamas, or perhaps in helping Gaza with humanitarian relief, will enable him to do something about human rights and other issues in US-Egyptian relations. “

During the latest round of fighting, El-Sisi not only pitted against the Biden regime’s position, but also quarreled with American legislators, who were increasingly providing American military assistance to Egypt. The more critical he became, the total annual aid amounted to US$1.3 billion.

Biden’s pressure

In recent years, Congress has regularly passed legislation requiring the State Department to certify that Egypt is taking steps to meet human rights standards before releasing funds.

Last year, Congress passed a bill of US$75 million that requires Cairo to release political prisoners and meet other human rights standards, and there is no State Department exemption.

Some people in the United States also question the broader strategic significance of Egypt. Once you consider Cairo’s influence in the Arab world, you can be sure that it controls the Suez Canal (an arterial trade route connecting the Mediterranean and the Red Sea) and its relationship with Gaza. The land boundary of the zone. .

Nonetheless, the Biden administration has indicated that it may not carry out policy reforms, frustrating rights defenders and some lawmakers through approval. $197 million in transactions Delivery of missiles and related equipment to Egypt in February.

Just a month ago, the State Department’s annual human rights report rejected a list of abuses in Egypt, which included extrajudicial executions, torture, enforced disappearances, repression of journalists and political opponents, and violence against the LGBTQ community.

El-Sisi’s government has overseen extensive arrests of activists, journalists and other recognized critics-about 60,000 Egyptians are still in prison.

U.S. human rights activists in Egypt also recently defendant The Egyptian government detained their relatives in Egypt to force them to remain silent-El-Sisi rejected the accusation, but which human rights groups raised serious vigilance.

Dunn told Al Jazeera: “The current conflict has brought disturbing problems and policy dilemmas that the Biden administration does not want to deal with.” “And they will face many difficult decisions.”