To review: The attack lasted 13 hours. It took appeals and threats of consequences from the highest levels of the U.S. and Israeli governments to get Egypt to act. During much of that time, the military ruler, Field Marshal Tantawi mysteriously “could not be located.” At the time that Egyptian authorities finally intervened, the invading mob had smashed through two of three secure doors, leaving only one standing between them and six Israeli security guards.
Despite the magnitude of this international incident, the participants who were arrested face no practical consequences. Behavior that is rewarded is more likely to be repeated.
“73 get suspended terms for Israel embassy attack,” from Agence France-Presse, October 31:
An Egyptian military court on Monday handed down six-month suspended jail sentences to 73 people accused of involvement in an attack on the Israeli embassy in September, a military source said.
Two other people were acquitted.
The September 9-10 attack on the Israeli embassy in Cairo by a crowd angered by Israel’s killing of Egyptian policemen on the border forced the evacuation of staff including ambassador Yitzhak Levanon.
Three people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded, including 300 policemen, in clashes between protesters and security forces outside the embassy.
Crowds smashed through an external security wall, tossed embassy papers from balconies and tore down the Israeli flag.
Agence France-Presse photo, September 9.