Israel: Gaza arms smuggling could nix Annapolis meet - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Sun., October 14, 2007 ,

Israel Time: 02:23 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Arts & Leisure

Real Estate

Jewish World

National

Advertising

Magazine

Week's End

Business

Opinion

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Books

Travel

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Israel: Gaza arms smuggling could nix Annapolis meet

By Barak Ravid

In a strongly worded message to the United States, Israel has complained that the weapons smuggling and entry of militants from Egypt into the Gaza Strip is posing a direct threat to the Annapolis conference actually taking place.

Senior Israeli political figures said yesterday that in talks with their American counterparts, they stressed that the porous border in Sinai "is becoming a strategic problem" and asked them to raise the issue with the Egyptians.

	Advertisement

"The smuggling of weapons and terrorist experts from Sinai to the Gaza Strip through the Philadelphi Route poses a real threat to the holding of the Annapolis conference," the message read.

The Israelis also expressed their frustration about Egyptian behavior vis-a-vis Hamas, both in terms of the ease of smuggling and also politically, in view of Cairo's calls for Fatah and Hamas to renew negotiations for a unity government.

"Egypt is working against everything we are all trying to achieve," senior Israeli officials told the Americans. "We are organizing a summit to further the diplomatic process under the banner 'strengthening Abu Mazen' [Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas], and they are strengthening Hamas."

Israeli political and defense officials have expressed grave concern about developments along the Philadelphi Route on the border between the Gaza Strip and Sinai in recent weeks. They are particularly irate at the clandestine entry of dozens of Hamas militants through the border near Rafah, without Egypt's trying to stop them.

Exacerbating these concerns are reports that Islamic Jihad militants have also managed to return to the Gaza Strip from Egypt without any difficulty.

Israeli political sources said Israel has asked Egypt for clarification on both matters, and received excuses and blurred responses.

"The Egyptians are saying they [the militants] entered the Strip through a hole in the fence," an Israeli political source said.

In its message to Washington, Israel emphasized it "views with grave concern the continued strengthening of Hamas through the smuggling of weapons."

Israeli officials told the Americans that "the smuggling is taking place to undermine the general effort to restart the diplomatic process."

One of the scenarios the Israelis presented to the Americans raises the possibility that rockets will be smuggled into the Strip and launched against Israeli urban centers, causing many casualties. This would necessitate a military operation in the Gaza Strip.

"Such a situation could result in the dismantling of the international summit," the Israeli sources said.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to arrive in the region on Sunday. Rice will travel to Cairo for talks after meetings in Israel.

Israel asked the U.S. to urge Egypt to do more in its efforts to stem the flow of smuggled weapons. Americans officials have said they "also recognize the significance of this matter and we will raise it once more."

During her visit Rice is expected to focus on preparation for the summit at Annapolis, and will hold a series of meetings in Jerusalem and Ramallah with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas.

In a related development, Minister for Strategic Issues Avigdor Lieberman met yesterday with the Quartet's Middle East envoy, former British prime minister Tony Blair. Lieberman told Blair: "Any attempt to deal with the core issues [borders, refugees, Jerusalem] at the Annapolis conference will result in the breakup of the coalition and the government in Israel." Lieberman, the leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, stressed that the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "must include the Israeli Arabs, in which the basis for a settlement is the exchange of territory and populations."

Lieberman added, "The international community must focus its efforts on the issue of Israel's security and the Palestinians' economy."

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	An exclusive drink
	We are more familiar with its stepson, gin, but jenever truly 'makes the heart rejoice'.


	Citizens unite
	Azulai's vital book focuses on photography in the contexts of occupation and exploitation.

Today Online


	U.S. grills Israel over road planned on Palestinian land
	Responses: 441


	Orthodox rabbi beaten with baseball bat in New Jersey town
	Responses: 179


	Dichter: Egypt capable of halting Gaza arms smuggling within day
	Responses: 152


	Report: Holocaust denier Irving invited to Oxford debate
	Responses: 168


	Benjamin Weinthal: Germany's secret business ties with Iran
	Responses: 127


	Danny Rubenstein: Jewish settlement in E. J'lem is incitement
	Responses: 120

More Headlines
22:42 Report: IAF hit partly finished nuclear reactor in Syria


22:54 Egyptian border police kill African refugee trying to enter Israel


23:06 PA forces shoot dead two Palestinians, including 5-year-old boy


22:20 Yishai: Peace summit should only deal with economic issues


01:33 Israeli tourist held in Lebanon jail recounts two-week ordeal


01:14 Ultra-Orthodox set to protest against division of Jerusalem


21:43 Haaretz.com TV exclusive: Rare footage of the protests in Burma


22:32 Croatia defeats Israel 1-0 in crucial Euro 2008 qualifier


00:55 Man dies after rejecting transplant but saves three other lives


01:48 Chief Rabbi Amar allows Shabbat work at Ben-Gurion Airport


21:39 Report: High level N. Korean official leaves for visit to Syria


17:23 Rice urges Turkey to avoid major military offensive against Iraqi Kurds


17:30 Two motorists killed in traffic accidents over weekend