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Egypt tries to thwart Israel's plans in Europe
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Egypt, Israel, European Union

Egypt has recently been attempting to thwart a proposed agreement to upgrade Israel's relationship with the European Union.

The proposed deal would significantly improve Israeli access to European markets, and could thus add billions of dollars to Israel's economy.

Israel first learned of the Egyptian efforts about two months ago, thanks to a tip received via diplomatic channels. The Foreign Ministry began investigating, and discovered that Cairo had instructed its ambassadors in Europe to wage a diplomatic campaign against the agreement.
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As part of this campaign, Egyptian ambassadors in London, Paris, Brussels, Spain, Rome and other European capitals have met with high-level Foreign Ministry officials in their respective countries to ask them to reconsider the agreement. The Egyptian argument is that in light of Israel's ongoing construction in West Bank settlements and its blockade of Gaza, the EU must not reward Jerusalem in any way.

After confirming this Egyptian effort, Israel decided to confront Cairo. Senior Foreign Ministry officials warned their Egyptian counterparts that Israel views this effort very gravely and wants it stopped. However, the Egyptians denied any wrongdoing.

Israel's assessment, a senior government official said, is that the Egyptian campaign constitutes retaliation for a United States Congress decision to freeze up to $200 million in American military aid to Egypt. Cairo blames Israel for this freeze, because Israel has frequently complained to Washington about Egypt's failure to combat arms smuggling into Gaza. One of the conditions Congress set for unfreezing the aid was an improvement in Egypt's performance in this sphere.

In addition, Israeli officials said, Cairo is upset because the EU has refused to grant Egypt a similarly favorable agreement.

So far, the officials said, Egypt's efforts have not succeeded, and there has been no change in the EU's stance on the agreement. Nevertheless, Israel is furious over what the officials termed Egypt's "double game": even as it claims to be trying to help Israel negotiate a cease-fire in Gaza, it is working against Israel on other fronts.

Israel expects the upgrade agreement with the EU to be signed by the end of the year. The deal governs cooperation in a wide range of fields, from trade to science to diplomacy, and defines Israel as a senior European partner - the highest level of association possible short of full EU membership.

Meanwhile, Israel also sent a formal protest to the Palestinian Authority yesterday over a letter sent by PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to the OECD, in which he asked the organization to reconsider its invitation to Israel to join. Fayyad based this request on Israel's military operations in the territories, and construction in the settlements.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who met Monday with PA President Mahmoud Abbas, told Abbas that Israel deems the letter completely unacceptable.

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      1.   PEACE TREATIES WITH ARABS ARE WONDERFULL THINGS ARNT THEY 03:28  |  zionist forever 03/06/08
      2.   More from olmert`s peace partners 03:36  |  Arie 03/06/08
      3.   There is no peace with Eygpt 03:45  |  Jane 03/06/08
      4.   Egypt needs to be spanked 03:46  |  Sam 03/06/08
      5.   but it`s okay for israel to play a "double game"? 03:50  |  eric 03/06/08
      6.   OH THE HYPOCRICY 04:07  |  VIPER 03/06/08
      7.   Mr. Mubarak can’t have it both ways! 04:31  |  RW 03/06/08
      8.   "Israel first learned...thanks to a tip received..." 04:57  |  Monitor 03/06/08
      9.   Definition of Arab 05:05  |  Edifice 03/06/08
      10.   No double game by Egypt 05:17  |  Ilan 03/06/08
      11.   gotta play the game! 05:18  |  bashar 03/06/08
      12.   Is this a partner or an enemy? 05:26  |  VLAD 03/06/08
      13.   Peace Treaties with Arabs, etc. 05:32  |  BAL 03/06/08
      14.   #6 Viper 05:32  |  Moshe 03/06/08
      15.   Apparently, $200 mil cut was not a sufficiently strong message 05:42  |  Dr. L. Brnd 03/06/08
      16.   choosen people the all mighty $ 05:45  |  dimitrios 03/06/08
      17.   RW #7 Israel can`t have it both ways 05:50  |  Palestinian Property 03/06/08
      18.   To Zionist Forever: Israel Again is Too Timid 05:56  |  Dave Levy 03/06/08
      19.   Eric#5 - an easy answer - Arab duplicity 06:06  |  William 03/06/08
      20.   Pal duplicity #17 06:14  |  William 03/06/08
      21.   Israel deserves no Arab friends and Israel has no Arab friends 06:20  |  Natallie Durson 03/06/08
      22.   Dummies at Israel`s helm think Egypt is honest mediator 06:20  |  * BEN JABO 03/06/08
      23.   re: peace treaties with arabs; israel`s done the same to egypt! 06:29  |  eric 03/06/08
      24.   Camp David Accords 06:33  |  George Jochnowitz 03/06/08
      25.   Olmerts Appeasement 06:33  |  Joe Kaufmany 03/06/08
      26.   Egypt is an Enemy State. 06:35  |  Straight Talk 03/06/08
      27.   #1...zionist forever 06:44  |  Malone 03/06/08
      28.   THEY ARE STILL AT WAR. MAYBE SINAI WASN`T ENOUGH? NEED MORE LAND? 06:49  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 03/06/08
      29.   Egypt only acts on behalf of the USA 07:10  |  isratinian 03/06/08
      30.   Egypt does not deserve to have Israel as its friend 07:15  |  US CITIZEN 03/06/08
      31.   nothing new they are our enemy and use any means to weaken us, 07:37  |  ralph 03/06/08
      32.   THE RESULT: WHEN YOU HAVE TO BUY PEACE W/ ARABS!!! 07:38  |  Ben Uziel 03/06/08
      33.   Egypt cannot be trusted. 07:53  |  Jean Van Daem 03/06/08
      34.   Arab mentality (1) 07:55  |  joki 03/06/08
      35.   Arab mentality (2) 07:56  |  joki 03/06/08
      36.   "a tip received via diplomatic channels" 08:32  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/06/08
      37.   #21, Durson 08:36  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/06/08
      38.   When will we realize? 08:58  |  Maurice 03/06/08
      39.   Egyptians and anti Israel squad want the west`s money 09:04  |  x-ray 03/06/08
      40.   Viper 09:06  |  george 03/06/08
      41.   Take Back the Sinai 09:06  |  PK 03/06/08
      42.   If Egypt has had its way it would also bring about the demise ... 09:07  |  Amihai 03/06/08
      43.   Difference between two groups of refugees 09:09  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 03/06/08
      44.   Viper: Israel has 8,000 rockets fall on it!!!! from gaza!!! 09:09  |  Jason 03/06/08
      45.   Arab Impotence = Envy = Hatred 09:17  |  Fish 03/06/08
      46.   Mubarak has a problem with "blockade of Gaza" ? 09:18  |  Rick & TC 03/06/08
      47.   #5 eric. No double game for you 09:31  |  No no no 03/06/08
      48.   The Egyptians must be Jewish 09:37  |  Shlomo 03/06/08
      49.   #6 Viper`s hipocracy 09:41  |  Proctologist 03/06/08
      50.   Blockade of Gaza 09:49  |  Ofer from Ofer 03/06/08
      51.   Margie, Margie, Margie 09:58  |  Wes 03/06/08
      52.   #4 I agree Egypt needs to be spanked, but spanked hard! 10:02  |  Yaakov Sullivan 03/06/08
      53.   #16 Jews are not " chosen" anymore. Jesus chose Catholics instead 10:05  |  Yaakov Sullivan 03/06/08
      54.   #21 Nathalie you are the true intellectual lady, congratulations! 10:12  |  Yaakov Sullivan 03/06/08
      55.   European trade agreement is illegal anyway 10:12  |  Raymond Deane 03/06/08
      56.   # 37, Kohn 10:13  |  Natallie Durson 03/06/08
      57.   # 19 sorry william; but nice try 10:14  |  eric 03/06/08
      58.   dimitrios #16 a tip for you dear 10:48  |  FOX 03/06/08
      59.   #56, Durson 10:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/06/08
      60.   Natalie Durston, inteerested in Peace? 11:01  |  FOX 03/06/08
      61.   Egypt`s sour grapes 11:07  |  Denise Thompson 03/06/08
      62.   Egypt`s hypocracy 11:15  |  ChanahS 03/06/08
      63.   rather than work on their own economy arabs prefer to interfere 11:26  |  don 03/06/08
      64.   Wes Wes Wes 51 11:26  |  ChanahS 03/06/08
      65.   Raymond Deane 55 11:29  |  ChanahS 03/06/08
      66.   Denise Thompson 61 11:34  |  ChanahS 03/06/08
      67.   the same right 11:35  |  Keops 03/06/08
      68.   how can we blame egypt 11:37  |  ivri 03/06/08
      69.   It`s time for the EU to send a strong signal to Israel..... 11:43  |  Swiss (Dino) 03/06/08
      70.   Israel doesn`t listen to Egypt. Egypt`s free to do what it wants. 11:49  |  Michael 03/06/08
      71.   PAL Property You can`t have it both ways.Your own state & occupy 11:55  |  PETER SM 03/06/08
      72.   DURSON How much does the USA pay the Gulf states? 11:58  |  PETER SM