Israel Matzav

Egypt warns Israel against dealing with tunnels

Our 'friends' the Egyptians have warned the Israeli government this morning that they will not allow Israel to bomb border areas along the Philadelphi corridor in which weapons tunnels have been uncovered.

Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told the London-based Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat that any Israeli bombing in the Philadelphi Corridor would 'violate international treaties.'

"If this were to happen, it would be considered a breach of all the Palestinian-Israeli agreements. It is not possible that we would accept that or let it pass as if nothing happened," he was quoted as saying.

Now let's stop for a minute there. That's interesting. He said that it would be a breach of "all the Palestinian-Israeli agreements." I don't have a problem breaching those - the 'Palestinians' have never kept them, and I would regard them as null and void. What's interesting is that he did not say that it would violate the Camp David treaty between Egypt and Israel. Hmm....

Aboul Gheit also denied Egypt was 'responsible' for any cross-border smuggling. I don't know what that means either. If they are just looking the other way, are they 'responsible'? If they facilitate it but do not supply the weapons, are they 'responsible'? Maybe not, but they're certainly to blame.

(In Jewish law, this looks like the difference between a 'm'sayeiah,' one who helps someone who could sin on his own without the assistance, and one who violates 'lifnei iver,' the commandment not to place a stumbling block in front of a blind person, by enabling someone to sin who could not otherwise do so. The 'm'sayeiah' is certainly not considered innocent).

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:41 AM