The Egyptian Revolution
[Note: The prolonged public protests in Tahrir square that eventually saw the departure of President Hosni Mubarak has been widely commented upon. Editorial commentaries from the international and Middle Eastern media are reproduced here. Editor, MEI@ND]


The Peninsula, Doha, Editorial, 26 January 2011, Wednesday
1. Egyptian Revolution
Will Mubarak meet the same ignominious fate that befell his former Tunisian counterpart? Will Egypt follow Tunisia? Suddenly, the question is foremost in everyone’s mind. True, Egypt is not Tunisia, geographically, culturally and politically, and it’s much bigger with a population of 80 million people compared with Tunisia’s 10 million. For the full text

Al-Ahram, Cairo, Editorial, 27 January- 2 February 2011
2. Testing times
Once again Egypt made its way to the world headlines. Egypt's young, looking for jobs or calling for social or political reform, still expect more of their government. They want change, a radical change in their circumstances; they want to enjoy a better, more prosperous future. Egypt is at the crossroads. For the full text:

The Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 28 January 2011, Friday
3. Resisting change fans the flames
If the eyes of the world are now being directed at Egypt and the unrest that has shaken the country, people should not be surprised – the last few years have seen indications of the profound discontent in the land of the Nile. Naturally, Egypt has not seen anything resembling the scope of protests that have broken out around the country. For now, the casualties have been kept to a minimum, with the police shying away from using live ammunition against the demonstrators.  For the full text:

Chicago Tribune, Editorial, 28 January 2011, Friday
4. Tunisia to Egypt to …
The U.S. and democracy in the Middle East. A couple of weeks ago, the human rights group Freedom House rated the Middle East, with its host of despotic regimes, the most repressed region of the planet. But that was a couple of weeks ago. At the moment, opposition to dictators is spreading fast and putting authoritarian governments in peril. For the full text:

The Washington Post, Editorial, 29 January 2011, Saturday
5. The U.S. needs to break with Mubarak now
On Friday (28 January), hundreds of thousands of Egyptians did something that the Obama administration, and many others in Washington, believed they would never do: They rose up against their government, demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's autocracy. They overwhelmed the security forces that Mr. Mubarak deployed in an attempt to crush them; they defied a night-time curfew even after Army units were deployed. For the full text:

Gulf News, Dubai, Editorial, 30 January 2011, Sunday
6. Don't take Arab youth for granted
Egypt protests are a lesson for governments to create jobs and institute genuine reforms. For years now, there have been signs of widespread unrest in the Arab world. Poverty, gross socio-economic disparities, endemic corruption and political stagnation are problems facing many Arab countries. But the main issue remains the stark levels of unemployment and lack of economic opportunities for the young and restless millions across the region. For the full text:

The National, Abu Dhabi, Editorial, 30 January 2011, Sunday
7. Egypt speaks but not with one voice
Anxieties about Islamist movements in the Arab world have been at the forefront of western policies in the region for years. The United States, in particular, has supported the government of the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in part because his leadership was understood as a bulwark against Islamist influence. But as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and Suez in protest against Egypt's government, their slogans were not sectarian. Islamist groups appear to have little to do with the unprecedented demonstrations in Egypt's streets. For the full text:

The Peninsula, Doha, Editorial, 30 January 2011, Sunday
8. Flames of Rage
Egypt is burning. And only President Mubarak can put out the fires. Yesterday (29 January), Egyptians lost all their fear, as tens of thousands of them poured into the streets for a fifth day of protests demanding a finish to President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule. It seemed the moment they all longed for was very near. There were some doubts whether the protesters would flock back to the streets yesterday after emergency orders were issued by Mubarak on Friday night and army was ordered to the streets to restore order. For the full text:

The Asian Age, New Delhi, 30 January 2011, Sunday
9. Tide of revolution in the Arab world
Revolutionary dynamics is sweeping significant countries of the Arab world, and the remarkable events have come unheralded within an extremely short space of time. In the face of popular anger Tunisia’s dictator of 23 years, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, fled the country to take refuge in Saudi Arabia. Egypt’s 82-year old President Hosni Mubarak, who has clung to power for 32 years, appears to be hanging on by the skin of his teeth.  For the full text:

Gulf News, Dubai, Editorial, 31 January 2011, Monday
10. Egyptians' will must be respected
Authorities have to find solutions that will satisfy wishes of the common people. The Egyptian street has shaken the regime, the region and the world to their core. Everyone was taken aback by the January 25 (2011) movement of anger and till today, international reaction has been confused and wobbly to say the least. The events unfolding in Egypt have occurred so fast it's become very difficult to keep up. For the full text:

The Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 31 January 2011, Monday
11. Egypt's battle requires focus
As the saying goes, don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched. The world has been watching the dramatic events in Egypt; the Mubarak regime’s attempts to cling to power have presented a riveting series of developments to maintain people’s attention. For the full text:

The Jerusalem Post, Editorial, 31 January 2011, Monday
12. An orderly transition of power in Egypt
Progress certainly won’t be achieved under yet another radical Islamic regime. Just last week IDF Military Intelligence head Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi appeared before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee and predicted that President Hosni Mubarak’s regime would remain stable. For the full text:

The Washington Post, Editorial, 31 January 2011, Monday
13. Misconceptions about the Egyptian crisis
Egypt on Monday (31 January) continued to teeter between a popular revolution that would remove President Hosni Mubarak and a forcible restoration of order by the police and Army. The opposition called for mass demonstrations on Tuesday (2 February); the regime did its best to impede them by cancelling trains and other transportation and continuing to block the Internet.  For the full text:

Boston Herald, Editorial, 31 January 2011, Monday
14. Turmoil grips Egypt
Mohamed ElBaradei, winner of the Nobel Peace prize, could have continued to live a comfortable life in Vienna, following his retirement as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. He had already assured his place in history. But for the past year or so he has been running something of a stealth campaign for the presidency of Egypt — “stealth” not so much because it was underground (It wasn’t. After all, the man has a Twitter account.) But because it has been so unlikely. For the full text:

The Guardian, London, Editorial, 31 January 2011, Monday
15. Egypt: Desert storm
All now rests on the determination of the people of Egypt. And they have, surely, come too far to retreat. Hosni Mubarak has run out of road. This is obvious to all: to the police who have fled the streets, to senior members resigning from the ruling party, and to the millions of Egyptians who have taken over its cities. But not to the president himself. For the full text:

The Hindu, Chennai, Editorial, 31 January 2011, Monday
16. Egypt shakes West Asia
Defying a curfew and violent repression, the people of Egypt are refusing to back down until President Hosni Mubarak — the dictator who has ruled for 30 years — goes. They regard the concession he has made, the dismissal of his own Cabinet, as a contemptible joke. Hundreds of thousands have occupied central areas of Cairo and other major cities, and their ranks have swelled even as the tear gas has spread and the beatings have intensified. For the full text

The Times of India, New Delhi, Editorial, 31 January 2011, Monday
17. Days of Rage
The Tunisian contagion appears to be spreading across the Arab world, with popular demonstrations against autocratic rulers breaking out in Egypt, Yemen and Jordan. Among these the Egyptian protests are undoubtedly the most important. That's not just because Egypt is a premier intellectual driving force in the Arab world, but also because the manifestations of popular anger in that country have taken on the dimensions of an uprising. For the full text

Gulf News, Dubai, Editorial, 1 February 2011, Tuesday
18. Peace should be maintained at all cost
Egypt's movement for reforms and change should not turn into a destructive tool. As the situation in Egypt escalates, there is an increasing fear of an eruption of violence in the largest Arab country. The protesters yesterday (31 January) called for ‘a million man march' today (1 February) from the epicentre of the ongoing protests in Cairo's central Tahrir Square to the presidential palace. The move would represent the height of the week-old demonstrations in major cities against the regime. For the full text

The National, Abu Dhabi, Editorial, 1 February 2011, Tuesday
19. Egypt will need friends when the dust settles
By now it's clear that the anger boiling over on Egypt's streets will not be tempered by force alone. Mohammed ElBaradei appears to be rallying the opposition, telling crowds in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Sunday (30 January): "Change is coming." But the full consequences remain to be seen and last night, as authorities erected concrete barriers around the square, it was still unknown what the costs will be. For the full text

The Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 1 February 2011, Tuesday
20. Mubarak's only option is to go
In spite of Hosni Mubarak’s half-hearted stabs at change, it has become clear that he is merely delaying the inevitable, and the only concession that will satisfy protesters is his exit. The beleaguered 82-year-old president reshuffled a few Cabinet ministers Monday but did not even bother altering the old faces atop the defence, foreign and information ministries. For the full text

The Peninsula, Doha, Editorial, 1 February 2011, Tuesday
21. Post-Mubarak Egypt
Egyptians are capable of governing their country and don’t require too much advice. The Egyptian army’s statement that it will not shoot at demonstrators and that freedom of expression will be guaranteed to all citizens who use peaceful means should provide the final hints about the possible outcome of the current uprising demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. It is that Mubarak is being left with only one option to quell the protests raging on the streets – step down immediately. For the full text

The New York Times, Editorial, 1 February 2011, Tuesday
22. Beyond Mubarak
The announcement from President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt that he would not run for re-election was welcome, if he means it, but it was unlikely to be enough. It is up to the Egyptian people to decide. But as a proud nationalist, Mr. Mubarak can best contribute to Egypt’s stability and future by stepping aside and letting an interim government take over until truly free elections can be held. For the full text

The Washington Post, Editorial, 1 February 2011, Tuesday
23. Can change really take place while Hosni Mubarak remains in office?
Had Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced two weeks ago what he said on Tuesday (1 February) night - that he would not run for re-election and would accept constitutional amendments to make a presidential election more democratic - he might have been hailed for delivering a political breakthrough in his long-stagnant country. As it was, with hundreds of thousands of enraged protestors in the streets of Cairo and other cities, his concessions were unlikely to restore order. For the full text

The Indian Express, New Delhi, Editorial, 1 February 2011, Tuesday
24. Tahrir dream
Change, when it comes, often does so without warning — without a wisp in the air of what’s in the offing. Yet, once the process of change is set in motion, it rarely remains a question of stealth. Barely a couple of weeks ago, when mass revolt in Tunisia ousted an ossified regime, commentators were discounting the possibility of the contagion spreading to a country like Egypt. Egypt had efficient repressive machinery and a perfected system of muting opposition. For the full text

The National, Abu Dhabi, Editorial, 2 February 2011, Wednesday
25. Economic woes at the core of Egypt's struggle
Egypt's GDP has quadrupled in the last three decades. Even at the height of the financial crisis, Egypt's economy grew by five per cent. Why then, have so many Egyptians taken to the streets? Egypt shows that not all growth trickles down. The economic liberalisation the country has pursued for 30 years - aggressively so in the past five years - has created wealth but not an expansion of opportunity. Rather than address economic inequalities, many of Egypt's market reforms appear to have compounded them. For the full text

The Guardian, London, Editorial, 2 February 2011, Tuesday
26. Egypt: Beyond Mubarak
The country's most important issue is not when the leader goes, but whether the regime will go with him. President Mubarak's announcement, under American pressure, that he will not seek re-election in September (2011) marks an end to one phase of the Egyptian crisis. But it does not resolve it. First, it is far from clear that Egyptians will accept him remaining in even nominal control. Secondly, the real struggle in Egypt is not between Mr Mubarak and the bulk of the Egyptian people. For the full text

The Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 3 February 2011, Thursday
27. Lost generations haunt Arab rulers
Wednesday’s (2 February) scenes of mayhem and violence in Cairo have offered the world the most forceful expression of the following reality: Arab leaders just don’t get it.  They rule over youthful populations, and perhaps not a week goes by without this salient fact mentioned in reports, conferences, statements and the observations of officials holding public office across the Arab world.  For the full text

The National, Abu Dhabi, Editorial, 3 February 2011, Thursday
28. Day of violence must not defeat Egypt's promise
The promise of Egypt's protests for many, regardless of their politics, was in how they broke from a painful history. Arab youth was empowered. Women joined their brothers, friends, and fathers, staking their claim on Egypt's future. And together, rather than resort to violence, they demanded change through peaceful means. For the full text

Boston Globe, Editorial, 3 February 2011, Thursday
29. Obama should take steps now to help speed Egypt’s transition
President Obama delivered the right message Tuesday (1 February) evening when he stressed that only the Egyptian people can choose their leaders, but also said he had just told President Hosni Mubarak that “an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now.’’ For the full text

Boston Herald, Editorial, 3 February 2011, Monday
30. Egypt: The way ahead
Silence has its consequences. The Obama administration is learning that the hard way in Egypt and Tunisia and Yemen and Jordan. The silence of this president in the face of electoral fraud, human rights abuses, autocratic rulers and his apparent inability to acknowledge the natural human desire for freedom and democracy has meant that the United States is today a bit player in the drama now being played out in the streets of Egypt and elsewhere in the region. For the full text

Gulf News, Dubai, Editorial, 4 February 2011, Friday
31. Egyptians must speak with one spirit
Compromise, not violent clashes, will ensure a smooth transition of power. A continuation of uncertainty in Egypt is dangerous as the level of heightened tensions can mar the future of the country. Egypt always was and will continue to be one of the main pillars in the region — both in times of war and in peace. Hence, it is alarming the level at which the recent escalations between the various groups in the country have reached, as deciding the future course of the country should not take it to the brink of anarchy. For the full text

Th Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 4 February 2011, Friday
32. Egypt's future in Egyptian hands
It is a sad fact of geopolitics that when countries lecture others, they do so to address their own interests. The wise people of Egypt should bear this in mind, even in the face of increasingly feisty anti-Mubarak rhetoric issuing forth from erstwhile allies. Even confronted by violence and chaos, they must not allow ulterior motives, foreign meddling or personal desire to see them stray from the path already trod by millions of supporters of democracy.  For the full text

The Peninsula, Doha, Editorial, 4 February 2011, Friday
33. Bid to buy time
The Egyptian regime dug in again, defying international pressure to begin an immediate transfer of power. In an about-face, President Hosni Mubarak told America’s ABC News that he was “fed-up with being president and would like to leave office now, but cannot”, he says, for fear that the country would sink into chaos. “I don’t care what people say about me. Right now I care about my country, I care about Egypt. I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other.” For the full text

The Washington Post, Editorial, 4 February 2011, Friday
34. Egypt's two futures: Brutality and false reforms, or democracy
Over the past few days the world has seen a vivid portrait of the two sides in Egypt's crisis. There has been the orchestrated brutality and cynical facade of compromise presented by the regime of Hosni Mubarak, who while clinging to his office until September (2011) is trying to destroy the opposition and ensure the perpetuation of 50 years of autocracy. In Cairo's Tahrir Square and in other plazas around the country is the alternative: millions of mostly secular and middle-class citizens, led by the young, who seek genuine democracy and whose regular chant is "we are peaceful." For the full text

Gulf News, Dubai, Editorial, 5 February 2011, Saturday
35. Stop meddling in Egypt's affairs
Iran and Islamist movements are using protests to settle scores with Mubarak. As the Arab world watches the historic events in Egypt and hopes for the best, other forces are trying to jump on to the popular uprising to make a point and settle scores with the current regime. One of these forces is the Islamist movement, which President Hosni Mubarak's secular-oriented government kept at bay for the past three decades. For the full text

The Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 5 February 2011, Saturday
36. Mubarak, save Egypt and leave
Although hundreds of thousands of protesters reportedly filed Cairo’s Tahrir (Liberation) Square for Friday’s (4 February) so-called “Day of Departure,” President Hosni Mubarak still refuses to depart. Mubarak is under intense pressure at home, and numerous foreign nations also say they are pushing him to go – and yet he continues to procrastinate. Procrastination it is, because he is merely delaying the inevitable: the Hosni Mubarak regime is clinically dead.  For the full text

Gulf News, Dubai, Editorial, 6 February 2011, Sunday
37. Unrest will impact Mideast peace process
Israel's paranoia over events in Cairo is an excuse to distract from the core issue. The situation in Egypt is developing very fast and the final outcome of the current unrest will have an impact on Egyptian, regional and international policies of the Middle East. Particularly important will be how the currently-frozen "peace process" will be affected by the Egyptian uprising. For the full text

The Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 7 February 2011, Monday
38. Egyptian patience can yield much
Thirteen days ago, as the first protesters filtered into central Cairo, the fledgling political negotiations which took place Sunday (6 February) would have been unthinkable. Now, those in Egypt who support freedom and democracy have changed the rules of the game. As rival political parties begin their uneasy dialogue, the people’s grievances are gradually being addressed. For the full text

The National, Abu Dhabi, Editorial, 7 February 2011, Monday
39. Egypt's civic virtue
The dark shadows that hung over Egypt for much of last week brought at least one positive trend to light. Many Egyptians managed to show the virtues of a community, working together when their compatriots needed it most. For the full text

The Washington Post, Editorial, 7 February 2011, Monday
40. Wrongly choosing Egypt's generals over the democrats
The Obama administration's latest flip on Egypt - it now publicly backs "the transition process announced by the Egyptian government" - is driven by fear of the dangers that could come with a victory by the pro-democracy movement headquartered in Cairo's Tahrir Square. "There are forces at work in any society . . . that will try to derail or overtake the process to pursue their own specific agenda," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Saturday (5 February). Most likely she was referring to the Muslim Brotherhood, a fundamentalist movement that many in Washington worry could hijack an uprising currently led by secular liberals.  For the full text

The National, Abu Dhabi, Editorial, 8 February 2011, Tuesday
41. One act that can break Egypt's stalemate
Egypt took a deep breath yesterday (7 February) after nearly two weeks of unprecedented protest. While most Egyptians returned to work, thousands of demonstrators remained in Tahrir Square; Hosni Mubarak remained the president. For both the protesters and the president, the pause has provided an opportunity to see that few of the underlying conditions that helped to spark the demonstrations have been addressed. For the full text

The New York Times, Editorial, 8 February 2011, Tuesday
42. Mr. Suleiman’s Empty Promises
We are a long way from knowing how Egypt will turn out. The government is using all of its power — including a promised 15 percent raise for federal workers — to try to hang on. The opposition is courageously pushing back, and, on Tuesday (8 February), it drew thousands of supporters to Liberation Square.  For the full text

The Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 9 February 2011, Wednesday
43. Mubarak's only option is to leave
Hosni Mubarak is still there? The world seems nearly plastered over with signs telling him in no uncertain terms to leave, and yet he refuses to listen. He is refusing to listen to the people still thronging Tahrir (Liberation) Square. The crowds are even larger than one week ago, and the desire for his exit has not diminished. Mubarak is acting as if cosmetic changes will send all the protesters home happily, while he can remain immobile on his throne until the presidential elections scheduled for September (2011). For the full text

The Washington Post, Editorial, 10 February 2011, Thursday
44. Hosni Mubarak offers Egyptians far less than they demand
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak attempted again on Thursday (10 February) to deflect his country's swelling popular revolution with cosmetic concessions and empty promises. He said he was delegating powers to his handpicked vice president, offered unspecified changes to a handful of constitutional amendments and expressed regret over the hundreds of protesters killed by his security forces. Minutes later, Vice President Omar Suleiman followed him onto national television and brusquely told the huge crowd gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square to go home. For the full text

The National, Abu Dhabi, Editorial, 11 February 2011, Friday
45. Mubarak stays, and army faces test of stability
The roar in Tahrir Square last night (10 February) was not of triumph, but that "he must leave". President Hosni Mubarak rebuffed widespread speculation that he would resign, instead repeating his promise to abstain from the next elections, amend the constitution and seek justice for casualties in the recent protests. The transfer of some powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman made hardly a dent on sentiment in the square. For the full text

The New York Times, Editorial, 11 February 2011, Friday
46. Egypt’s Moment
Egyptians earned their celebration in Tahrir Square on Friday (11 February). The resignation of President Hosni Mubarak is a stunning accomplishment for the country’s courageous youth-led opposition. In fewer than three weeks, they forced a largely peaceful end to his 30-year autocracy. For the full text

The Washington Post, Editorial, 11 February 2011, Friday
47. Egypt's challenge: Becoming a democracy
The jubilant, flag-waving crowds pouring through the centre of Cairo on Friday (11 February) recalled scenes from other parts of the world during the past 30 years - Manila in 1986; Prague in 1989; Jakarta in 1998. As people did in those countries, Egyptians turned out en masse, and mostly peacefully, to demand not just a change of government but a democratic revolution. In doing so, they raised the momentous prospect that political freedom would spread, at last, to the region of the world that lacks it, and needs it, the most. For the full text

The Guardian, London, Editorial, 11 February 2011, Friday
48. Egypt: The army's fateful choice
The president's obstinacy puts the military on the spot at a time when the power of the people has spilled across the country's political landscape. President Mubarak last night (10 February) laid a powder trail that could explode today in the disastrous confrontation between the army and the people which Egypt has managed to avoid until now. For the full text

Boston Herald, Editorial, 11 February 2011, Friday
49. Egypt faces future
That’s the problem with buying a dictator. Even the best of them just won’t stay bought. And so despite the $1.5 billion in U.S. military aid a year that goes to Egypt, as Hosni Mubarak faced day after day of demonstrations in Tahrir Square, what does that crafty old SOB do? Well, he turns on his former buddies in the White House, telling his own people that he has no intention of being guided by the “dictates” of foreign governments that are demanding he leave office. For the full text

The Hindu, Chennai, Editorial, 11 February 2011, Friday
50. Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood
It is apparent that the Muslim Brotherhood is positioning itself for a role in a post-Mubarak Egypt. The al-Ikhwan al-Muslimeen has emerged as the largest and most organised political opposition in the country. The group initially stayed away from the uprising, perhaps unsure of how, as an Islamist movement, it should respond to the spontaneous and non-religious character of the protests. For the full text                           
 
Arab News, Jeddah, Editorial, 12 February 2011, Saturday
51. Mubarak’s exit
It’s most unlikely that Egypt’s upheaval will not have ramifications elsewhere. The Egyptian people, when roused, have proved a mighty force. In the end, Hosni Mubarak had no option but to bow to it and leave the stage, as demanded. Confronted with the biggest anti-government demonstrations Egypt has ever known, he has been forced to face up to the reality that after 30 years, Egypt did not want him anymore. All his manoeuvring, all his rhetoric, could not save him. Sharm El-Sheikh could provide no hiding place. For the full text

The Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 12 February 2011, Saturday
52. The Egyptian lesson
Hosni Mubarak is gone, as president of Egypt. It was an event that should have taken place months, if not years ago. The message of popular discontent was delivered, loudly and clearly, during last year’s parliamentary elections, when vote-rigging and other shenanigans were taken to unprecedented levels. For the full text

The Guardian, London, Editorial, 12 February 2011, Saturday
53. Egypt: brave new Arab world
A triumph of the people's revolution. Thirty years of dictatorship disappeared in 30 seconds. This was the time it took for Vice-President Omar Suleiman to announce that Hosni Mubarak had resigned as president of Egypt and that the armed forces council was taking over as head of state. After 18 continuous days of protest in which the occupants of Tahrir Square resisted everything the dying regime dared to throw at them – armed mobs, occasional gunfire, waves of arrest, the shutting down of the internet and the mobile phone network, a media crackdown – the voice of the Egyptian people had finally made itself heard. For the full text

The Boston Herald, Editorial, 12 February 2011, Saturday
54. Egypt’s revolution
“There is something in the soul that cries out for freedom.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
And so in Tahrir Square yesterday (11 February) the many souls who had come together as one for 18 days, demanding freedom, demanding real democracy, pleading for a chance for a new beginning, finally had their day, their reason to celebrate. For the full text

The Indian Express, New Delhi, Editorial, 12 February 2011, Saturday
55. Tahrir’s Tryst
On the 17th day, everything changed. On Thursday (10 February) evening, more than two weeks after protesters occupied Tahrir Square in the centre of Cairo and turned it into “the only free place in Egypt”, they gathered to listen to their octogenarian president, Hosni Mubarak, read out what they expected would be his resignation speech. For the entire day, one piece of news after another had first provided hope, which then hardened into a certainty: Mubarak would go. For the full text

Ha'aretz, Tel Aviv, Editorial, 13 February 2011, Sunday
56. A new era has dawned in the Middle East
A political revolt like this, in which unarmed citizens overthrow a ruler they hate, had never taken place in a an Arab country. After 18 days of mass demonstrations in Egypt's cities, President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down and his 30 years of rule have come to an end. Control has been handed over to the army, which promises that it will respect the protesters' demands and prepare the country for elections. For the full text

Gulf News, Dubai, Editorial, 13 February 2011, Sunday
57. Egypt's army now has a huge role to play
The military will find it hard to be a neutral arbiter of a future elected government. Egyptian military owe it to the people to show that they can be an honest broker of Egypt's future. The astonishing events in Egypt have placed a huge responsibility on the armed forces to manage a transition to a new democratically elected government. For the full text

The Oman Tribune, Muscat, Editorial, 13 February 2011, Sunday
58. A new era for Egypt
Finally, people’s power has prevailed in Egypt. The pharaoh has exited the political scene after an 18-day high drama that riveted the world to Tahrir Square as thousands of street protesters unleashed a leaderless and bloodless revolution unmatched in scale and zeal anywhere in the Arab world with only one aim: To remove Hosni Mubarak from power after 30 years of rule. For the full text

The Jordan Times, Amman, Editorial, 13 February 2011, Sunday
59. Continuing Success
The resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak marks an end of an era that lasted well over 30 years. It came about after 18 days of protests and demonstrations that saw the crowds swell on Friday to millions of people from all walks of life. For the full text

The Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 14 February 2011, Monday
60. Hard work after the revolution
The Monday after the Friday (11 February) before, and now the serious work begins for Egypt’s nascent revolution. As millions rejoiced at the fall of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, encouraging signs emerged from a military handed temporary power over a country fresh from the pangs of upheaval.  For the full text

The Hindu, Chennai, Editorial, 14 February 2011, Monday
61. The Egyptian giant stirs
President Hosni Mubarak's decision to resign his office constitutes a momentous event in modern Egyptian history. After 18 days of nationwide mass protest, this dictator of 30 years' standing finally acted on the truth he had seemed incapable of seeing: his entire regime had lost all possible public assent, not to mention what little legitimacy it still possessed after years of rigged elections, rampant corruption, and savage torture. For the full text


Compiled by Alvite N

Alvite N is an Indian researcher affiliated with the BESA Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Israel. Mail

As part of its editorial policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spelling and date formats to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND: P R Kumaraswamy