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| Joy marked the resignation of Mubarak in the streets of Cairo |
Mubarak Steps Down, Ceding Power to Military
President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt turned over all power to the military, and left the Egyptian capital for his resort home in Sharm el-Sheik, Vice President Omar Suleiman announced on state television.
The announcement, delivered during evening prayers in Cairo, set off a frenzy of celebration, with protesters shouting "Egypt is free!"
The Egyptian military issued a communiqué pledging to carry out a variety of constitutional reforms in a statement notable for its commanding tone. The military's statement alluded to the delegation of power to Vice President Omar Suleiman and it suggested that the military would supervise implementation of the reforms.
[New York Times]
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The chaos in Egypt raised the prospect that a hostile regime could again rise in Cairo and renounce the treaty. Should that happen, Jordan would likely renounce its treaty with Israel too and the informal relations Israel has developed with several other Arab countries would wither. Once again, Israel would find itself surrounded only by hostile neighbors.
As long as Egypt, with its million-man army, was no longer part of the confrontation, Israel felt no existential threat. Thus, Israel was able to wage two wars in Lebanon (in 1982 and 2006), put down two Palestinian intifadas and undertake a massive incursion into the Gaza Strip (in 2009) without having to cover its Egyptian flank.
(The Australian)
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