Egypt must decide - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Mon., October 15, 2007 ,

Israel Time: 15:19 (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

Last update - 09:33 14/10/2007

Egypt must decide

By Haaretz Editorial

While the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams are hard at work formulating a joint declaration ahead of the Annapolis peace conference at the end of November, developments along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt are casting a heavy pall over its chances of success. Since Hamas completed its takeover of Gaza in June, weapons smuggling from Sinai has mushroomed. Israel last week asked the American administration to speak urgently to Egypt about this matter, to make it clear that the smuggling has become a strategic problem.

More than two years after the disengagement, despite Egyptian promises, Cairo has made no significant effort to thwart the smuggling. According to Israeli intelligence officials, every recent month has seen tons of explosives smuggled into Gaza to manufacture bombs and rockets. Would-be terrorists, trained in camps in Iran, Syria and Lebanon, are also slipping across the border.

About two weeks ago, very likely with Egyptian permission, dozens of trained gunmen returned to the Gaza Strip. The operational knowledge of Hezbollah activists and Iran's Revolutionary Guards has already helped Hamas and Islamic Jihad to attack Negev communities. Until Hamas took over in June, there was at least a semblance of monitoring along the Philadelphi Route by security forces under the aegis of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and the team of European monitors stationed at the Rafah crossing. Now, senior Israel Defense Force officers call what is happening along the border "a smuggling highway."

	Advertisement

The senior political and security echelons, still bruised after hastily setting off to the Second Lebanon War, are not keen on a large-scale military operation in Gaza. Tension with Syria last summer was the main brake on such a move. However, the outgoing deputy chief of staff, Major General Moshe Kaplinsky, told Yedioth Ahronoth Friday he believed the conflict in Gaza was on the verge of escalation. Israel is concerned about two expected developments being accelerated by the smuggling: extending the range of Hamas' rockets to more than 15 kilometers and the upgrading of its manufacturing capacity, allowing Hamas to hoard thousands of rockets. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will find it difficult to convince the public of the need for another withdrawal under continuing fire from Gaza.

Egypt could seal the border to smuggling if it would only decide to do so. Cairo seems to be turning a blind eye. This behavior raises the suspicion it does not really want talks between Israel and Abbas to succeed or PA rule strengthened.

Weapons smugglers in Gaza are working closely with smugglers on the Egyptian side of Rafah and with Sinai Bedouin. Egypt will contribute to the peace talks if it uses its intelligence services to gather information on these networks and its police force to monitor the border more closely. Israel must present these demands in every possible forum and make clear how essential the struggle against smuggling is to check the conflict in the strip.

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.	Encouraging War	13:28	\|	Barry	14/10/07

2.	what else do you expect...	18:26	\|	ravi	14/10/07

3.	Isreali looking of excuse to torpedo peace efforts	20:42	\|	taz	14/10/07

4.	egypt now has it;s own problems	00:09	\|	mohamed	15/10/07

5.	I PREDICTED THIS MONTHS AGO, now listen again	00:51	\|	VIPER	15/10/07

6.	Who cares?	00:52	\|	Pharaoh	15/10/07

7.	Pharaoh... you will pay!	03:39	\|	Daniel	15/10/07

8.	Objective proof of tunnels	06:20	\|	Rowan Berkeley	15/10/07

9.	Daniel--Meximana	15:08	\|	Pharaoh	15/10/07

Today Online


	J'lem sources: Rice won't impose any conditions on Israel
	Responses: 129


	Amira Hass: Israel has turned the Gaza Strip into a zoo
	Responses: 96


	Draft constitution ignores question of who is a Jew
	Responses: 30


	Rabin assassin Yigal Amir asks to attend son's circumcision
	Responses: 55


	Haaretz.com TV: Despite lobby's power, U.S. Jews are losing their bond to Israel
	Responses: 24

More Headlines
15:09 Rice, in Ramallah: Peace is a top priority for Bush


14:39 Olmert and Holocaust survivors' groups agree on pensions hike


14:14 Envoy urges UN to quit Quartet over lack of regard for human rights


14:12 Draft constitution ignores crucial question of who is a Jew


11:09 Opposition, coalition MKs call on PM to quit in wake of 3rd probe


13:41 PA to hold first census in decade in hope for boost in peace talks


13:22 Israeli sources confirm W. Bank residency granted to 5,000 Palestinians


14:06 Egypt denies indifference toward arms smuggling into Gaza Strip


11:02 Israel Medical Association: Bill would encourage organ trafficking


12:57 Police want charges against attorney who slapped MK over Nazi slur


11:30 Japan requests permission to participate in Annapolis summit


11:27 PM Olmert pushing for casino in Red Sea resort town of Eilat


11:43 Women's groups: Livni not feminist enough to represent Israel at summit