Rafah Closed: Egypt’s Calculated Response to Transnational Mobilisation
Overview
In the week commencing 10 June 2025, the Egyptian government took decisive steps to prevent a large-scale international protest movement from reaching the Rafah border crossing into Gaza. Branded as the Global March to Gaza, the campaign aimed to draw international attention to the humanitarian crisis inside the Strip. Egypt, citing national security concerns and the need for coordination, acted swiftly to detain and deport hundreds of participants, effectively halting the initiative before it reached North Sinai.
This episode illustrates Egypt’s enduring role as a stabilising force in the Gaza conflict, but also underscores the complex balancing act Cairo faces between maintaining domestic control, safeguarding its strategic interests, and responding to international humanitarian pressures.
Key Developments
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International Mobilisation Blocked: Over 2,000 activists from more than 80 countries had planned to march from Cairo to Rafah. Egypt disrupted these plans by detaining over 200 individuals, deporting at least 73 (primarily to Turkey and European destinations), and blocking access routes into North Sinai.
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Security and Political Calculations:
- Egyptian authorities cited concerns over uncoordinated activity near a sensitive border zone where Islamist militancy remains active.
- The government demanded prior authorisation via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies, a requirement not met by the march organisers.
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Israeli and International Pressure:
- Israeli officials reportedly engaged with their Egyptian counterparts, expressing concern that the march could escalate tensions or serve as cover for radical elements.
- Quiet consultations with U.S. security officials further reinforced Egypt’s decision to act pre-emptively.
Analysis
Egypt’s decision to suppress the Global March to Gaza is rooted in both security imperatives and regional diplomacy. Three drivers are key:
1. Stability in North Sinai
Egypt continues to prioritise control over the Sinai Peninsula, where remnants of ISIS-linked groups remain active. The arrival of thousands of international protesters—many of whom were undocumented or unauthorised—posed a risk of disruption in an already fragile region.
2. Regional Positioning
Egypt has long positioned itself as the principal interlocutor between Hamas and the international community. By blocking the march, Cairo signals to Israel, the United States, and Gulf states that it remains a reliable partner in managing the Gaza situation while retaining control over the humanitarian narrative.
3. Domestic Considerations
Public solidarity with Palestinians remains high in Egypt. However, the regime fears that large-scale mobilisation—especially when triggered by foreign actors—could reignite civil unrest or create openings for opposition groups to exploit.
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WBII Statement on the Suspension of UK-Israel Trade Talks and David Lammy’s Remarks
We note with deep concern the UK Government’s decision to pause trade talks with Israel on its updated free trade agreement. We are equally troubled by calls from the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy MP, to suspend or terminate the UK-Israel trade deal altogether.
This is a moment that demands principle, not posturing.
The United Kingdom is now signalling that it is willing to penalise its closest democratic ally in the Middle East—not for acts of aggression, but for exercising its legal and moral right to self-defence in the wake of the Hamas-led atrocities of 7 October. Israel’s ongoing operations in Gaza, including in Rafah, are a direct response to those attacks and to the continued captivity of Israeli hostages, including women, children, and foreign nationals.
Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Israel is entitled to defend its citizens and territory from armed attacks. Its actions fall within the scope of international humanitarian law, which recognises the distinction between civilian and military targets—something Hamas continues to flagrantly violate by embedding its fighters and weaponry in civilian infrastructure.
To suggest that Israel should be economically isolated while it combats a proscribed terrorist organisation—one that remains committed to the annihilation of Jews and the destruction of the only Jewish state—is not diplomacy. It is appeasement.
Britain does not apply this standard elsewhere. It trades freely with authoritarian regimes and states engaged in far more egregious human rights abuses than Israel, including those with documented records of repression, occupation, and aggression. The current government continues to pursue trade with China, Saudi Arabia, and other states where the principles of democracy and accountability are not only absent, but actively suppressed.
Why then is Israel—a pluralistic, democratic nation defending itself against terrorism—singled out for economic censure?
This is not a principled stand. It is a politically convenient one, driven by external pressure and performative outrage, not legal reasoning or strategic coherence.
The UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement is not just a commercial instrument—it is a strategic declaration of shared values. Israel is a world leader in cybersecurity, biotechnology, clean energy, AI, and medical innovation. Bilateral trade exceeded £7 billion in 2022, supporting jobs, research, and technological advancement on both sides.
To suspend or terminate trade talks in response to Israel’s lawful military operations is to risk crippling a vital partnership, emboldening terrorist propaganda, and sending a message that the UK will not stand by its allies in times of crisis.
What’s Really at Stake
This is not about trade alone. This is about the future of the rules-based international order. If democratic states are penalised for defending themselves against terrorism—while non-state actors are shielded by ambiguity and moral relativism—we risk a world in which terror pays, and restraint is punished.
We urge both the UK Government and the Opposition to reconsider this course of action. Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation under British law. Israel is a lawful democratic partner. This distinction matters.
WBII Statement on Yuval Raphael and Eurovision 2025
We Believe in Israel (WBII) warmly congratulates Yuval Raphael on her extraordinary achievement at Eurovision 2025 — placing second overall and winning first place in the public vote across Europe and beyond.
In a year marked by unprecedented hostility, smears, and organised efforts to silence Israel’s voice on the global stage, Yuval stood firm — with grace, strength, and unshakable dignity. She was not only a singer representing her country, but a symbol of resilience, a young woman carrying on her shoulders the burden of her people’s pain, pride, and perseverance.
That she triumphed in the hearts of the public is no small thing. The people voted for hope. They voted for beauty over boycott, courage over cowardice, and light over the darkness of hate.
In recent months, artists have been pressured, broadcasters have faltered, and campaigners have worked tirelessly to push Israel out of international cultural spaces. Yuval faced it all — with composure and an unwavering sense of purpose. Her performance was a victory not only for Israel, but for every believer in fairness, decency, and the unifying power of art.
We are deeply proud of Yuval, and of every supporter who stood with her, who voted for her, who refused to bow to the politics of exclusion.
This moment was about more than music. It was about visibility. About being seen, heard, and humanised in a time when so many have sought to erase, distort, or vilify.
Yuval reminded the world that Israel is not just a headline — it is people. It is courage. It is song.
We Believe in Israel celebrates this profound moment of public solidarity. And we remain committed to defending the right of Israelis — and of Jews everywhere — to take part, to be proud, and to be free.
Thank you, Yuval. You have made us all stand a little taller.
WBII Statement on Gary Lineker’s Amplification of Antisemitic Content
We Believe in Israel (WBII) is outraged by the disgraceful decision of BBC presenter Gary Lineker to share a grotesquely antisemitic post, originally published by The Palestine Lobby, to his 1.2 million Instagram followers. The post was titled “Zionism explained in less than 2 mins” and was accompanied by a rat emoji — a symbol deliberately weaponised by the Nazis to portray Jews as vermin, paving the way for their extermination.
This is not a misunderstanding. This is not a slip of the finger. It is the calculated amplification of a piece of content that draws on the oldest and ugliest tropes of antisemitic hate — and it came from a man who has already demonstrated a consistent pattern of targeting Zionism and Israel through veiled and not-so-veiled commentary.
Gary Lineker is not just any public figure. He is a senior presenter at the BBC, an institution that claims to uphold the highest standards of impartiality and public trust. His platform carries weight. His actions shape discourse. And yet, time and again, he has used his visibility to engage in behaviour that blurs the line between political criticism and racial incitement.
The attempt to excuse this latest episode with the claim that Mr Lineker “didn’t see” the rat emoji is not only pathetic — it is insulting to the intelligence of the public and offensive to every Jewish person who recognises this imagery for what it is: a dehumanising assault on Jewish identity, particularly through the demonisation of Zionism, the self-determination movement of the Jewish people.
His actions violate the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines, which require public figures associated with the broadcaster to refrain from disseminating content that could “bring the BBC into disrepute” or promote hate. Moreover, his conduct may breach Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003, which prohibits the use of public communications networks to share “grossly offensive” content, and the Equality Act 2010, which protects religious communities from discrimination and harassment.
WBII demands the following, without delay:
- Immediate disciplinary action from the BBC, including removal from any upcoming public-facing programming.
- A public and unequivocal apology from Mr Lineker for his amplification of antisemitic imagery.
- Formal investigation by Ofcom into the BBC’s enforcement of impartiality and anti-discrimination standards.
- Referral to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to assess whether Lineker’s behaviour constitutes a criminal offence under UK law.
- Mandatory antisemitism awareness training for all BBC talent and executives, based on the IHRA definition, with particular focus on contemporary manifestations of antisemitism disguised as anti-Zionism.
Enough is enough.
This is not an isolated lapse. This is a pattern. Mr Lineker’s persistent targeting of Jewish national identity — while hiding behind the pretence of political expression — emboldens extremists, normalises antisemitism, and undermines the very principles the BBC claims to defend.
There is no room for equivocation. A man who cannot distinguish between advocacy and hate speech has no business representing a publicly funded institution.
We Believe in Israel stands with the Jewish community and every citizen who believes in decency, accountability, and truth. The time for apologies is over. The time for consequences is now.