Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., October 15, 2007 , | | Israel Time: 19:37 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
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
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter (Olivier Fitusi / BauBau)
del.icio.us
Digg It!  new
Last update - 20:14 12/10/2007
Dichter: Egypt capable of halting Gaza arms smuggling within day
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent

Egypt could halt the flow of weapons from the Sinai Peninsula into the Gaza Strip in a single day, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter told United Nations Middle East envoy Tony Blair on Friday.

The two met to discuss a strongly worded message Israel sent to the United States complaining that the weapons smuggling and entry of militants from Egypt into the Gaza Strip was threatening the scheduled Annapolis regional peace conference.

"We must fight the weapons smuggling from Sinai," Dichter told Blair during their meeting. "Egypt could stop the weapons smuggling within one day if it only wanted to."
Advertisement
Senior Israeli political figures said Thursday 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.

"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.

Also Thursday, a top architect of Israeli military policy in the Gaza Strip was quoted as saying that the army will have to conduct a lengthy ground operation to halt rocket fire, the clearest sign yet that Israel is preparing an offensive against Hamas.

In an interview with an Israeli daily, Maj. Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky said a Gaza operation appears inevitable.

"We cannot over time stand idly by as Hamas rearms in the strip and as the rocket fire continues incessantly, Kaplinsky, who stepped down this month as the army's deputy chief of staff, told the newspaper. In order to dismantle the terror infrastructure, systematic treatment is necessary. A ground operation is a question of timing." He did not elaborate.

Since Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip two years ago, the rocket fire has persisted, despite frequent Israeli airstrikes and incursions targeting rocket squads. Thousands of the crude rockets have landed in southern Israel, killing 12 people over the past seven years and disrupting the lives of thousands of residents.

Arab League chief: We'll skip summit if settlement building goes on
Arab states will boycott the upcoming regional peace summit unless Israel ceases construction in West Bank settlements, Arab League chief Amr Moussa said Thursday in an interview with DPA.

Moussa said this was a principle demand of Arab states, conditional to the participation in the summit. He added that another of the Arab states' conditions was to see the agenda of the summit before the actual meeting.

Related articles:

  • PA Chair Abbas lays out first precise demands for Palestinian borders
  • Senior Fatah official rules out reconciliation with rival Hamas
  • PM tells Turkish FM that Golan will not be on agenda at summit



    • Bookmark to del.icio.us
    Public discontent
    Teachers are replacing port workers in the public's mind as the 'serial national strikers.'
    Bad for academia?
    A Haifa professor says funding from corporations gives rise to some ethical conundrums.
      1.   smuggling 03:48  |  marcel 12/10/07
      2.   NIX ANAPOLIS,RETAKE SINAI,GAZA.EGYPT RENEGED ON CAMPDAVID ACCORDS 03:58  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 12/10/07
      3.   Arms smuggling 04:00  |  Edifice 12/10/07
      4.   But Haaretz published with great fanfare that Egypt closed tunnel 05:00  |  Genuine Tosefta 12/10/07
      5.   Egypt is assisting Hamas? What a Surprise ! 05:02  |  Mike 12/10/07
      6.   Egypt, like all Arabs have no word, no honor... just BS 05:04  |  Rafa 12/10/07
      7.   Good. Put an end to this meaningless summit 05:08  |  Natallie Durson 12/10/07
      8.   Anything to stop the peace progress 06:00  |  Neil 12/10/07
      9.   #7 Natalie 06:05  |  Neil 12/10/07
      10.   Neil Of Auckland 06:51  |  Edifice 12/10/07
      11.   EGYPT IS THE ENEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 07:05  |  THE LIBRARIAN 12/10/07
      12.   Nat #7 07:28  |  Joshua 12/10/07
      13.   Neil ole Kiwi 07:30  |  Joshua 12/10/07
      14.   Arabs want your lands not peace 08:03  |  infidel 12/10/07
      15.   Egypt`s double game 08:19  |  Esther 12/10/07
      16.   Pals need permit to breath 09:20  |  Refugee 12/10/07
      17.   More whining from Israel 09:22  |  Clickfool 12/10/07
      18.   Only one response to Egypt will help 10:23  |  Kenny 12/10/07
      19.   Time is running out for israel,Hamas is not going away,so end the 11:01  |  lakshmi 12/10/07
      20.   Surprie, surprise! 11:19  |  Outsider 12/10/07
      21.   SUT UP ISRAEL. YOU ARE THERE TO GIVE NOT TO GET. ANYTHING!! 11:26  |  SAM OLSAMOL 12/10/07
      22.   EGYPT HATES ISRAEL & JEWS 12:00  |  Iskander 12/10/07
      23.   Egypt`s hands are tied 12:01  |  Chris Linthwaite 12/10/07
      24.   Egypt and their breathren 12:09  |  guy 12/10/07
      25.   Egypt must be held accountable 12:14  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/10/07
      26.   Arming and training `militants/rebels. 12:38  |  Maureen Ann 12/10/07
      27.   # Clickfool 12:43  |  Sandokan 12/10/07
      28.   Israel could round up the illegal settlers in Hebron in just one 12:59  |  Jens 12/10/07
      29.   #19 lakshmi twiddles her thumbs and hums the VICTORY tune 13:05  |  CK Tan 12/10/07
      30.   It`s always about the Palestinians 13:12  |  Clickfool 12/10/07
      31.   STUPIDITY AND ITS JUST REWARDS 13:20  |  paul harris 12/10/07
      32.   ignorant 13:22  |  Don 12/10/07
      33.   GAZA,EGYPT`S TROJAN HORSE 13:35  |  Ian 12/10/07
      34.   I don`t see Gaza sumggling is a big deal or WOW 13:36  |  Tamir Palestine 12/10/07
      35.   Both are right 13:39  |  Chris 12/10/07
      36.   ARAB BROTHERS 13:49  |  M 12/10/07
      37.   Nathalie #7 you are twisted 13:56  |  Robert 12/10/07
      38.   Little Jens from Cph,you are unwilling to round up hash pushers 14:10  |  Absolute Sweden 12/10/07
      39.   Such a weird understanding 14:19  |  Hannah 12/10/07
      40.   333 Ian: Concise and perfect analogy. 14:21  |  Nora 12/10/07
      41.   A bad policy looking for an alibi 14:32  |  Tosefta 12/10/07
      42.   Yes, and Israel could stop settlement expansion in a day 14:37  |  newageblues 12/10/07
      43.   Arms for Palestinians DEFENSE 14:37  |  POP 12/10/07
      44.   ISRAEL CAN STOP THE OCCUPATION WITHIN A DAY TOO 14:44  |  Markus 12/10/07
      45.   ISRAEL CAN HALT THE OCCUPATION WITHIN A DAY TOO 14:47  |  Markus 12/10/07
      46.   Stop within a day??? 15:30  |  Joe 12/10/07
      47.   it could 16:01  |  ravi 12/10/07
      48.   #42,44,45-SO HAMAS CAN SMUGGLE EXPLOSIVES TO MURDER CIVILLIANS??? 16:02  |  Tom Bell 12/10/07
      49.   PALESTINIANS CAN`T OFFER PEACE IN A DAY, SO OCCUPATION CAN`T END. 16:16  |  Mitch Iginer 12/10/07
      50.   Not wishing to be rude to Americans, but... 16:17  |  Stan 12/10/07
      51.   Egypt 16:42  |  B 12/10/07
      52.   Egypt lets weapons in but no palestinians out 16:44  |  Chick 12/10/07
      53.   #24 16:47  |  B 12/10/07
      54.   Lets see who can get closest to getting Israel,s 16:47  |  Labhras 12/10/07
      55.   #46 16:52  |  B 12/10/07
      56.   US GIVE WEAPONS TO ISRAEL, EGYPT TO PALS: DEAL DONE ! 16:54  |  TrippleJump 12/10/07
      57.   Slipping through their fingers 16:55  |  Polybios 12/10/07
      58.   Call It All Off ... Go into Gaza and clean up that swamp 17:02  |  GZLives 12/10/07
      59.   A hole in the fence 17:03  |  Jasmine Murphy 12/10/07
      60.   What occupation? From wars that were fought and lost? 17:04  |  GZLives 12/10/07
      61.   Arms - so what? 17:23  |  Omran 12/10/07
      62.   To Cipora # 25 17:30  |  Fortuna Benmayor 12/10/07
      63.   How Dichter would have done it in one day 17:34  |  Tosefta 12/10/07
      64.   Clickfool #30 17:41  |  Xaxam 12/10/07
      65.   To all pro-islamist posters,...i.e., Hannah, Clickfool, Marcus, e 17:44  |  akiva (zionist) 12/10/07
      66.   I think Dichter is laying the foundation 17:55  |  Yonatan 12/10/07
      67.   Clickfool of Sussex 17:55  |  chris w 12/10/07
      68.   Israel first 17:59  |  gerardo 12/10/07
      69.   #23,25 Key isn`t Gaza, but Egypt breech of demilitarized Sinai 18:06  |  Dr. L. Brnd 12/10/07
      70.   Single minded Clickfool..what is your assement 18:07  |  Avi 12/10/07
      71.   Land for peace is a flawed strategy 18:38  |  Jason from colorado 12/10/07
      72.   Israel can have peace tomorrow! 18:40  |  Dutch Dirk 12/10/07
      73.   It is about time Israel ignored the Egyptian SOBs, whose 18:56  |  Manto 12/10/07
      74.   #58, Fortuna Benmayor 19:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/10/07
      75.   Dutch Dirk proclaims himself chief PA negotiator 19:09  |  Polybios 12/10/07
      76.   Thanks for the chuckle, Xaxam # 58 19:11  |  Clickfool 12/10/07
      77.   Jasmine #55 - a brilliant idea 19:12  |  Polybios 12/10/07
      78.   The Simple Truth 19:23  |  Average Joe 12/10/07
      79.