Israel and Arab Dictators

"Such a shift is hard for Israel, which worked with the region's dictators for many years. Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens pointed out an unpleasant truth: "the two peace treaties that Israel concluded so far—the one with Egypt and the other with Jordan—were both signed with dictators: Anwar Sadat and King Hussein." Jordan shares intelligence with Israel about terrorist groups like al-Qaida and Hamas and polices its border with the West Bank, preventing infiltration. Under former President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt cracked down on Islamists sympathetic to Hamas and helped enforce the blockade of Gaza along its border. More recently, some Arab governments tacitly backed Israel when it warred against Hezbollah (seen by Arab regimes as an Iranian pawn) in 2006 and shed few tears when Israel hammered Hamas in the 2008-09 "Cast Lead" operation. Self-interest, not love for the Jewish state, motivated leaders in Egypt and Jordan, as they feared Palestinian and Islamist activism as a threat to their own power." (thanks Nabeel)