What does Egypt have in common with Macy's?

Answer: they both need a reasonable return policy.

Please allow me to explain. During the Six Day War of 1967, Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula to preempt Egyptian military action.

It was the only time in the history of the modern State of Israel that its military struck an enemy first. In other Mideast wars, Israel has acted only after she was attacked. But in 1967, everyone knew what Egypt was about to do. The United Nations had withdrawn its peacekeeping forces from the Sinai because U Thant could tell that the Egyptians were preparing for war. So Israeli commanders in Tel Aviv decided to strike first. A preemptive attack could save many Israeli lives. And that's what they did.

When the dust settled, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) had soundly defeated the Egyptian army and Israel had taken possession of most of the Sinai Peninsula.

The Sinai is a very significant piece of real estate not only because of its biblical importance, but also because of its rich natural resources—including oil.

Once the Israelis took over the Sinai, they began building communities and looking for ways to develop the region. They built roads. They erected factories in El-Arish. They constructed schools and hospitals for the indigenous Bedouin population. They turned a desolate desert area near the Israeli border into a beautiful, thriving resort town (Taba).

Then the world was stunned to hear some unexpected news. Israeli scientists and engineers discovered a massive oil field in southern Sinai with untapped reserves estimated (in the 1970s) at more than $100 billion USD. The Egyptians had been sitting on this field for centuries and didn't even know it was there. It wasn't long before the Alma Oil Field was supplying more than half of Israel's petroleum needs.

Thousands of Israelis moved into the Sinai. Their communities thrived. Business was good.

St. Catherine's Monastery at the base of Mount Sinai in Egypt. Photo by R.A. Higbee (CJF Ministries).

In 1979, Israel and Egypt signed a peace agreement at Camp David. Israel agreed to give up the Sinai (along with other concessions) in order to achieve peaceful relations with Egypt. The Israeli withdrawal from Sinai was complete by 1982. Before the big pullout, Israel razed its Sinai settlements and sent their residents back to Israel. They shut down the factories and destroyed military installations. However, they didn't destroy the oil wells and research facilities—those were turned over to the Egyptians largely intact, including many millions of dollars' worth of high-tech equipment. The Egyptians couldn't figure out how to use some of the cutting-edge technology; so the Israeli experts went the extra mile and provided training for their Egyptian counterparts.

The only thing the Israelis tried to keep was the resort town of Taba. After all, they had built it from the ground up—Taba was a small Bedouin village before they got there—and it was thriving. Besides, there was a longstanding border dispute dating back to Ottoman days. But when an international commission ruled in Egypt's favor in 1988, Israel turned the keys over to the Egyptian government. Even so, Taba continues to be a favorite destination for Israelis to this day. On weekends and during the Jewish holy days, thousands of Israelis flood across the border from Israel into Taba, Egypt. Even a 2004 terrorist attack on the Taba Hilton did little to dissuade Jewish tourists from descending on the resort in droves each year.

So you see, Israel paid dearly for that Mideast peace agreement. She returned the Sinai to Egypt--and gave up her dreams of energy independence. That costly agreement has remained in place for all these ensuing years.

So here's the question people are asking. If a new Egyptian government reneges on the peace accord with Israel, will Egypt return the Sinai to Israel?

After all, a deal is a deal, is it not?

Cartoon by Yaakov Kirschen of Dry Bones