Israel Matzav

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Israel decides enough is enough

The Israeli government turned down a second request from Egypt to deploy troops in Sinai.

As first reported last week by the Post, Israel allowed the Egyptian military to deploy units in Sinai for the first time since the signing of the peace treaty in 1979, in response to growing anarchy in the country. Two battalions – amounting to about 800 soldiers – were deployed in the Sharm e-Sheikh region and around Rafah, which is split between the Sinai and the Gaza Strip.

Under the peace treaty, Israel returned Sinai to Egypt. In return, Egypt agreed to leave the peninsula demilitarized.

Senior IDF sources said Sunday the Egyptians had asked Israel to authorize the deployment of additional forces but that the request was rejected by the Defense Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office.

“We do not want it to seem as if the peace treaty is meaningless, particularly at a time when there could be a regime change in Egypt, which could renounce the treaty altogether,” a senior military source said on Sunday.

I'm sure you're all wondering what I've been wondering: How are we going to get rid of the Egyptian troops that are already there once things calm down?

Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the cabinet on Sunday that the Egyptian military was playing a positive role in stabilizing the situation in the country.

He said the government decided to permit the deployment of the military forces in Sinai on a temporary basis and that the forces would withdraw once stability was restored on the peninsula.

And if they don't withdraw or if an Islamist government takes over in Egypt? What could go wrong?

Labels: Egyptian regime change, Egyptian troops, Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty

Monday, January 31, 2011

Egyptian troops in Sinai for the first time in 30 years

Israel gave Egypt permission to send troops to Sinai for the first time in 30 years. Under the Camp David treaty between Israel and Egypt, the Egyptians are forbidden from stationing troops in Sinai. The troops were allowed to deploy in Sinai for riot control.

For the first time since the signing of the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, Israel responded favorable to an Egyptian request to bring the army into the Sinai peninsula in order to control the unrest that has gripped Egypt for a week.

Israeli sources told the Associated Press that two battalions were deployed in the Sharm El-Sheikh area at the southern tip of the peninsula, on Sunday.

According to Israel Radio, Knesset speaker Ruby Rivlin (Likud) has asked the Knesset's legal counsel to check whether the government has a right to allow the Egyptians to send troops into Sinai, or whether it's a violation of the treaty, even with Israeli approval.

UPDATE 11:19 PM

More reasons for concern here.

Labels: Egyptian troops, Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, Sharm el-Sheikh