Defense official tells Haaretz that Gaza and Hamas will continue to be a ‘shared headache’ for both countries, and that Iran and terror will remain shared enemies, as well.
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, HAARETZ
Despite win, Egypt’s new president will have his hands tied
Newly elected Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is not likely to disavow the peace treaty between the two countries, a senior Israeli defense official said on Tuesday.
The official told Haaretz he believed that the ties between the Israeli and Egyptian defense establishments will remain intact. Iran and terror will remain the enemies of both countries, while Gaza and Hamas will continue to be a “shared headache.” Relations between Israel and Egypt will continue to be based on mutual interests.
“The talks Morsi held with the American government show this,” the official said. “We do not believe that this approach will change any time soon.”
He said that when Egypt’s supreme military council took on more powers, it returned Egypt to a point before the revolution. Egyptian defense officials want to hold on to foreign affairs as well and leave the management of the Egpytian economy, which is believed doomed to fail, to the president.
“I doubt that Morsi will come to Jerusalem, but we have to remember that Mubarak didn’t either, except for Yitzhak Rabin’s funeral,” he said. “We may get the cold shoulder from parliament and the president’s office, but ties with the defense establishment will remain strong.”
The official, however, was not as optimistic about developments in the Gaza Strip. “Weapons are flowing into Gaza in any case,” he said. “We certainly don’t expect a conventional threat from the Egyptian army in the foreseeable future.”
Israel isn’t worried at the moment that Egypt will allow more people and merchandise into the Gaza Strip from Egypt via the Rafah crossing than it normally does, the official said.
“The potential is there for a strengthening of ties between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, and that’s certainly an opportunity for Israel,” he added. “If they want to get their goods from the port of Alexandria and not from Ashdod, let them do so.”
The official said the trend revealed by the victory of a Muslim Brotherhood candidate was not a positive trend for Israel. But neither is it “an Egyptian plague.”
Israel confirmed that Egypt had sent a number of calming messages to Israel about the maintenance of security ties.
Israeli security sources say the main worry now is not the regime change in Egypt but the situation in the Sinai Peninsula. The sources say Egypt’s supreme military council has failed to take control of the situation in the Sinai, and Morsi’s election is not expected to change this.
The danger, Israeli sources say, involves increased tensions with Egypt. The lack of Egyptian control over the Sinai could allow complete freedom of movement to extremist Islamic terror cells, assisted by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
In the long term, attacks from Sinai could lead to an escalation of tensions between Israel and Egypt.
Another concern involves Egyptian demands to revisit the security addendum to the Israel-Egypt peace treaty, which was signed in 1979. The Egyptian pretext is the need to stabilize the situation in the Sinai, but Israel views this as a dangerous precedent. Israel might give an unofficial nod for Egypt to beef up its forces in the Sinai without changing the agreement.
Meanwhile, Morsi continues to issue calming statements to the West; on Tuesday his policy adviser, Ahmed Deif, told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that Morsi intends to appoint a Coptic Christian as his vice president.
ASfter the smear job on Geller I would not give too much credence to any report by Haaretz. It is a leftist propaganda machine.
If it was not dishonest and an honorable part of the media, it would not censor thoughtful but dissenting comments from its website as it has done consistently when one disagrees with its writers. Just look at what the Washington Post permits in its comment section following a Charles Krauthammer column that even remotely refers to Israel.
I know of no other outlet, either the websites of the print media, or bloggers (with the exception of Charles Johnson) which filters out disagreeable but polite comments, as the Haaretz website does. These people are closed minded, true-believing zealots. So typical of the angry left.
Most bloggers and websites of the mainstream media do permit disagreeing comments, unless they’re bigoted, slanderous, or vulgar. In the case of Haaretz, some of their articles are instead slanderous.
I’d also be very concerned by their substantial foreign ownership by a company whose founder allegedly was an active Nazi. This needs verification and more investigation. From what I can tell, it is a disloyal and seditious voice in Israel, seeking apparently, to undermine the security of the country. Remember, for example, the former editor who told American officials that “Israel needed to be raped.”
yamit82 Said:
You are right in saying the future wars won’t resemble past wars and there could always be miscalculations. In 1973 the Egyptians used all sorts of deceits to catch the Israeli’s off guard. This article as well as what Morsi is telling the whole world should not be taken at its face value. There is a saying “Prevention is better than cure.”
@ TTW:
I don’t think future wars will resemble much our past wars. Air-power, missiles of all types including drones will dominate. Egypt knows that the mass movement of it’s military into Sinai would be a casus belli for Israel.
There could always be miscalculations.
@ Canadian Otter:
I don’t know to all of your questions.
I have theories but they are just that.
They pulled the same shtick when Yamit was destroyed.
Sacrifice some for the many or what is most important to them and that is Yesha.
@ yamit82:
Question for YAMIT: Some days ago you posted the link to the video MERAGLIM, which shows the betrayal of the defenders of Gush Katif by a group that included the Yesha Council, rabbis, and other well-established leaders of the movement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H27TUyXm8HQ&feature=bf_prev&list=PL158435502B0D6AAA
There was a man there that caught my attention. His name was Ze’ev Hever, or “Zambish”.
The camera showed what went on during the defense, and at crucial moments at the end, when police pounced on the defenders. His performance appeared to be duplicitous throughout. And I’m sure this was no secret in the aftermath of the expulsion.
I was surprised to find that this man is still very much involved in the settlement movement.
Here is one article where he expresses his outrage at “settler violence” directed at his organization Amana.
~~~~~~~~~~
So I wonder if you could explain,
a) how Zambish (and any others who may have been similarly involved in the betrayal) can still be part of the settlement leadership in Yesha , and
b) did he suffer any social/political consequences at all as a result of his behavior during the defense of Gush Katif.
I could not find anything relevant on the web, so I would appreciate any information in this regards. Thank you Yamit.
Otter
Arnold Harris Said:
I agree. When it comes to Israel loosing a war means total “destruction” of the country which I strongly believe will not happen. I hope Israel is ready and remain ready (if not it should be quickly ready)as an opportunity to recapture territories West of the Jordan river would be made available by a provocation of the Arabs. Taking an initiative to go to war by Israel may not be necessary in order to avoid giving an excuse to enemies and friends alike to hate Israel more.
@ TTW:
Which is precisely why Israel’s wars in the future must be wars of carefully planned offense and aggression, in pursuit of strictly territorial expansion goals, and carefully masked as responses to armed provocation — which the Arab states and armed gangs will readily supply in any case.
Remember, no matter what the liberal philosophers preach, the only war crime is to lose a war.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
yamit82 Said:
It is insane to encourage war as there is no good war. Israel has been fighting a defensive war(s) for its very existence. Being surrounded by enemies, Israel should always be on guard in order to avoid a repeat of 1973.
While the Egyptian military brass want stability and continuation of American military and civilian support most of the conscripts in the army support or are sympathetic to the MB.
I see them adopting the Turkish model of gradual incremental steps to secure power from the military. Then like Turkey all bets are off.
With such a positive forecast for our future relations with Egypt down the road; why would their source require anonymity? Usually such attributions are given to the DM. Sounds like a made up fantasy by HAARETZ.
Since I was one of those who paid a heavy personal price for Begin’s folly, there are few more than me who would like the Sinai restored to Israel. That said, my personal loss does not warrant more personal losses especially when the costs are counted in Jewish dead wounded and maimed for life.
If we are attacked we should defend ourselves with whatever we got but no sane person wishes for war.
To those who wave their brave bravado at no personal cost or risk, if you are so desirous for war you should also fight in it or your sons and grandsons if you have any.
While this is a forum for opinions, I take such opinions for what they are worth based a lot on the chicks-hits who voice them.
Morsi wants to calm down the West and those in the Middle East to buy time to consolidate his power in order to carry out the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood. He knows that unless he gets an external assistance Egypt will face economic disaster from which they may not be able come out on their own. Israel and others shouldn’t let their guards down by what they read or hear. What makes Morsi to change the goals of the Muslim Brotherhood over night? Coming to power in all Arab countries and then forming the world wide caliphate remains their goal. Please donot be fooled by what you read in this article. What this article says is true for a limited time in the future.
As I have written before, I have no interest in democracy in general, no interest in democracy among Arabs in particular, and my only interest in Egypt or anything Egyptian is for Israel to have a plausible excuse to retake, annex and populate the Sinai peninsula with Jews. If there is no plausible excuse, then fake one, like all the goyische powers always have done and always will continue to do.
Therefore, let instability reign. Peace and the stability that comes with it costs Israel the opportunity to take additional lands for the future of the Jewish nation.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
Being that this article comes from Haaretz it should be taken with a grain of salt.
A dhimmi Coptic Christian will be appointed to provide the muslim brotherhood regime with a pretense of moderation to the gullible west.