Egyptian Security Officials In Israel To Discuss Security, Diplomacy

EXCLUSIVE: Egyptian Security Officials In Israel To Discuss Security, Diplomacy -- The Tower

The Tower has learned that just days before President Barack Obama arrives in Israel for discussions on sensitive regional issues, a high-ranking group of Egyptian army intelligence officers has made a quiet trip to Israel to meet counterparts.

The discussions this week come at a time of increasing strain between Hamas, the Iran-backed terror group based in the Gaza Strip, and Egypt’s military and security forces, and as dire economic issues, as well as spreading riots, are straining the country. Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has repeatedly overreached in pursuit of consolidated Islamist rule, deepening widespread public unrest that was already growing due to massive economic pressure.

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My Comment: Is the Egyptian government sanctioning these discussions? Is Egypt's military/intelligence agencies pursuing a different agenda? A lot of questions .... but no answers .... and President Obama is arriving in a few days.

Egyptian President: No Negotiations With 'Descendants Of Apes And Pigs'

Morsi: No Peace With Descendants Of Apes And Pigs -- Jerusalem Post

Newly translated interviews by MEMRI show Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in 2010 opposing two-state solution.

Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are "a waste of time and opportunities" as Arabs and Muslims get nothing out of engagement with "the descendants of apes and pigs," current Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi asserted in September 2010, according to newly translated interviews published this week by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

In the first interview, aired on Lebanon's Al-Quds TV on September 23, 2010, Morsi denounced the Palestinian Authority as a creation of "the Zionist and American enemies for the sole purpose of opposing the will of the Palestinian people." Therefore, he stressed, "No reasonable person can expect any progress on this track."

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Update: Morsi in 2010: No Negotiations with 'Descendants of Apes' -- Arutz Sheva

My Comment: Can the Obama administration work with such a racist .... probably not .... Morsi's comments highlights the problems that the White House is going to have. Fortunately .... the West does have some leverage .... they should hesitate in doing this until Morsi comes out publicly to explain these disgusting 2010 comments. And while I do not expect him to apologize for saying them, at least it would highlight the mindset and philosophy of the Muslim Brotherhood, and put pressure on Western governments to not be "so eager" to accommodate the new Egyptian government.

On a side note .... there has been zero coverage from the mainstream U.S. and European press on this story.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood: Israel Will Cease To Exist Within Decade

Essam al-Erian speaks during a session at the Shura Council building in Cairo. (file photo)

Morsi Aide: Israel Will Cease To Exist Within Decade -- Arutz Sheva

Deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm in Egypt says that Israel would cease to exist by the end of the decade.

Deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm in Egypt, the Freedom and Justice Party, announced Tuesday that Israel would cease to exist by the end of the decade.

Essam el-Erian, who serves an advisor to Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi, had attempted to dispel a recent controversy over comments he made in an interview last week, in which he invited Egyptian born Jews to return to the country.

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My Comment: The way things are going .... he may be right.

In A Show Of Support To Hamas, Egypt's Prime Minister And Top Security Officials To Visit The Gaza Strip On Friday

Egyptian Delegation To Visit Besieged Gaza Strip -- Washington Post

CAIRO — Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi ordered his prime minister and top security officials to visit the Gaza Strip on Friday to show support for Palestinian residents in the face of what he called an “unacceptable” bombing campaign by Israel.

State television said Thursday that Prime Minister Hesham Kandil would lead the high-level mission aimed at meeting the “urgent needs” of Gaza residents. News agencies reported that the team would also include Maj. Gen. Mohamed Raafat Shehata, Egypt’s intelligence chief, as well as the health minister and top Morsi aides. During their one-day visit, the Egyptians plan to meet with top Gaza officials and “show solidarity with the Palestinian people,” a cabinet officer told Reuters news agency.

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My Comment: Egyptians apparently want their government to do more, but Jennifer Rubin has a must read post that explains the internal Egyptians dynamics that are now being played in this recent Israel - Hamas conflict.

Is Egypt Becoming A Dictatorship?

Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi speaks before watching a display of military maneuvers in the eastern Sinai, October 18, 2012. REUTERS/Egyptian Presidency/Handout

Israeli Official Sees "Shocking" Dictatorship In Egypt -- Reuters

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A senior Israeli official described Egypt's new government on Friday as a "shocking dictatorial force" and predicted there would be no high-level contacts between the two countries, but the Israeli government distanced itself from his comments.

The remarks by Amos Gilad, a top aide to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, were some of the harshest yet about the rise to prominence of Egypt's new Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, who was elected in June.

Speaking at a security conference, Gilad said the liberal forces behind the uprising which ousted former president Hosni Mubarak in 2011 had evaporated.

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My Comment: What surprises me about this report is the revelation that there is no communication between the leaders of Israel and Egypt. That for all intents and purposes .... they are going their separate ways. Considering how tense the Sinai is becoming with terrorist cells moving into the region, coupled with the civil war in Syria, unrest in Lebanon, threats from Gaza, and unrest in Jordan .... you would think that someone in authority in Israel would be talking to someone in authority in Egypt .... but apparently not.

Update: The U.S. is also raising concerns.

Why Israel Is Worried About Egypt

Israel Rattled By Rise In Anti-Semitic Rhetoric From Egypt -- FOX News

HAIFA, Israel – The new tone coming out of Egypt - punctuated by President Mohammed Morsi mouthing "Amen" to an Imam's call for the destruction of Israel - is rattling residents of the Jewish state, who claim the Obama administration isn't taking the ratcheted-up rhetoric seriously.

Lip reading by the Anti Defamation League and the Middle East Media Research Institute confirmed Morsi's approval of a prayer delivered by influential Imam Futouh Abd Al-Nabi Mansour last Friday, in which he stated, “Oh Allah ... grant us victory over the infidels. Oh Allah, destroy the Jews and their supporters.” Israelis already nervous by the rise of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood say it is the latest example of a disturbing trend.

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Previous Post: Egyptian President Joins In Prayer For The Destruction Of Jews And Their Supporters

My Comment: When racists are in positions of power, any good rarely comes out of it. The Muslim Brotherhood leaders have never hidden their contempt for Jews and Christians .... and with significant popular support they now rule Egypt.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Calls For Jihad Against Israel

Members of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood including now-President Mohamed Morsi (3rdL) take part in a 2011 press conference (AFP/File)

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Chief Urges Jihad For Jerusalem -- Al Arabiya News

The supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Egypt’s President Mohammed Mursi emanated, called on Thursday for a jihad (holy war) to liberate Jerusalem from Israeli rule.

“Jerusalem is Islamic ... and nobody is entitled to make concessions” on the Holy City, said Sheikh Mohammed Badie in his weekly message to supporters.

“The jihad for the recovery of Jerusalem is a duty for all Muslims,” he said, stressing that the liberation of the Holy City “will not be done through negotiations or at the United Nations.”

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More News On The Heads Of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Calling For Jihad Against Israel

Egypt's Brotherhood heads urged jihad for Jerusalem -- France24/AFP
Muslim Brotherhood head calls for 'jihad' to liberate J'lem -- Jerusalem Post
‘Holy Jihad’ is the only way to deal with Israel, says Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood chief -- Times of Israel

My Comment: The Egyptian President's political base is the Muslim Brotherhood .... and they are now calling for war against Israel. Hmmm .... how much U.S. aid is Egypt suppose to receive this year .... and why is President Obama permitting it?

Egypt Vows To Respect Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty

Morsi's remarks at the NAM summit on Thursday caused unease among his Iranian hosts [Reuters]

Mohammed Morsi Vows To Respect Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty -- The Telegraph

Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s Islamist president, promised to respect his country’s historic peace treaty with Israel as he sought to burnish his credentials as a moderate.

The Egyptian leader used his first interview with the Western press since coming to power in June as a platform to rebut criticism that he intends to lead a reactionary regime inimical to both the United States and Israel.

With Israel among those most suspicious of his intentions, not least because of his longtime involvement in the Muslim Brotherhood, Mr Morsi seemed particularly eager to reassure Egypt’s western neighbour — even if he did not mention the Jewish state by name.

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My Comment: I am starting to doubt Mohammed Morsi's intentions. He says one thing .... but does something else.

Egypt Positions Tanks In Violation Of Peace Treaty With Israel

A boy walks near army trucks carrying tanks and vehicles, expecting opposition against militants, arriving at Rafah city, some 350 km (217 miles) northeast of Cairo August 9, 2012. (Photo by REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

Israel Asks Egypt to Remove Tanks From Sinai -- New York Times

JERUSALEM — Israel is “troubled” by the entry of Egyptian tanks into the northern Sinai Peninsula without coordination with Israel, a violation of the terms of the 33-year-old peace treaty between the two countries, and has asked Egypt to withdraw them, an Israeli government official said Tuesday.

The Israeli request was conveyed within the last few days, the official said, adding that it was likely that the Obama administration had made a similar approach to Cairo.

The Israeli official was speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the fragility of Israel’s relations with Egypt, already strained by the recent upheavals there. The overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak last year stripped Israel of a trusted regional ally.

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More News On Israeli Concerns That Egypt Is Violating Their Peace Treaty

Israel asks Egypt to remove tanks -- UPI
Israel says Egypt violating peace treaty by moving tanks into demilitarized Sinai -- Chicago Tribune/AP
Israel voices worry over Egyptian tanks, troops in Sinai -- Global Post
Egyptian official calms fears over Sinai deployment -- YNet News
Egyptian official: Recent Sinai operation was fully coordinated with Israel -- Haaretz
Egypt must deal with Israel over Sinai action: US -- AFP
Israel Talking to Egypt Over Sinai Troop Movements -- ABC News/AP
Egypt Probes Israel's Limits In Anticipation of Treaty Talks -- Al-Monitor

Is Israel Expecting The New Egyptian Government To Close The Suez Canal To Israeli Shipping At Some Future Date?

Israel Takes Out Strategic Insurance Against Any Egyptian Threat To Its Global Shipping Lanes -- Leo Rennert, American Thinker

Israel and China have signed an agreement to build a railway connecting Israel's southernmost port of Eilat with its Mediterranean ports at Ashdod and Haifa.

The joint multi-billion dollar project will give commercial shipping a ready detour around the Suez canal for vessels heading from the Med to major sea lanes in the Indian Ocean and to ports of call in eastern Africa and southern Asia. And vice versa.

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My Comment: Israel knows what the Muslim Brotherhood is all about. These measures are prudent and sensible .... especially if Egypt does impose sanctions against ships bound to Israel and/or leaving Israel at some future date and/or in the event of a conflict with a Muslim state (i.e. Iran).

Egypt Halts Gas Supplies To Israel

Egypt's pipelines supplying Israel have faced numerous attacks in the last year

Egypt Scraps Israel Gas Supply Deal -- BBC

Egyptian officials say they have scrapped an agreement to supply Israel with natural gas.

Israel received around 40% of its gas supplies from Egypt and uses it to generate electricity.

The announcement comes after the cross-border pipeline suffered numerous sabotage attacks which cut supplies.

Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said the move was of "great concern", and overshadowed peace agreements between the countries.

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More News On Egypt Terminating It's Gas Contract With Israel

Egypt ends natural-gas agreement with Israel -- Haaretz
Egypt cancels gas deal with Israel -- Reuters
Egypt Cancels Israel Gas Deal -- Wall Street Journal
Egypt company kills Israel natural gas supply deal -- Toronto Star/AP
Egypt scraps Israel gas accord -- AFP
Egypt scraps gas deal with Israel -- Deutsche Welle
Egyptians terminate gas flow to Israel -- Jerusalem Post

My Comment: Any predictions on when Egypt cancels the peace treaty.

Egyptian Parliament: Israel Is Egypt’s No. 1 Enemy

People's Assembly Speaker Saad al-Katatni addresses the parliament in Cairo on January 23, 2012. Press TV

Egypt’s Islamist-Dominated Parliament Votes In Support Of Expelling Israel’s Ambassador -- Washington Post

CAIRO — Egypt’s Islamist-dominated parliament unanimously voted on Monday in support of expelling Israel’s ambassador in Cairo and halting gas exports to the Jewish state.

The motion is largely symbolic, because only the ruling military council can make such decisions, and it is not likely to impact Egypt’s relations with Israel. But it signals the seismic change in Egypt after the ouster of longtime leader and Israel ally Hosni Mubarak a year ago in a popular uprising that ended his 29 years in power.

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Update #1: Egypt house votes to expel Israeli envoy -- Al Jazeera
Update #2: Egypt wants Israel's ambassador out -- Iol News
Update #3: Egypt's parliament wants Israel's ambassador out -- Huffington Post

My Comment: With Egypt's Presidential elections just around the corner, I predict every candidate will try to maneuver themselves to be the "most" anti-Israel candidate. Expect the rhetoric and actions to get worse before it gets 'better'.

So Much For Following The Terms Of The Israeli - Egyptian Peace Agreement

Egypt: Planes Patrol Sinai Without Israel's Consent -- Ynet News/AFP

Egypt's Air force chief dispatches warplanes to patrol border with Israel, despite peace treaty terms, MENA news agency reports; 'We do not need permission to increase our forces on our land,' General Reda Hafiz says.

Egypt's air force chief said on Thursday that Egyptian warplanes are patrolling Sinai without Israel's consent, despite a 1979 peace treaty limiting Egypt's military presence in the peninsula.

"Sinai is our land, and we do not need permission to increase our forces on our land," General Reda Hafiz told the official MENA news agency.

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My Comment: There is a lot of back-door dealings now occurring between Israel and Egypt that is not being reported.

Another Attack On The Egyptian-Israeli Gas Pileline Raises Concerns On Security In The Sinai

Egypt Gas Pipeline Attack Raises Questions About Sinai Security -- Christian Science Monitor

The latest attack on an Egyptian gas pipeline is a relatively minor event. But it's another reminder of the public anger that is likely to cause Egypt to draw further away from Israel.

A pipeline in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, near the town of al-Arish, was sabotaged for the sixth time this year today, a reminder that Egypt's relationship with Israel remains a hot topic here.

Gas shipments to Israel owed under a controversial deal signed by former President Hosni Mubarak have been shut since July, after another pipeline attack. The assault today, involving a carload of gunmen who placed an explosive at a pumping station, has disrupted gas deliveries to Jordan and one of Egypt's own power stations.

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More News On Today's Gas Pipeline Attack In The Sinai

Militants attack Egyptian gas pipeline to Israel -- USA Today/AP
Egyptian pipeline bombed again -- CNN
New attack on Egypt gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan -- BBC
Egyptian gas pipeline to Israel hit by 6th attack -- CBC
Egypt: Assailants blow up Sinai gas pipeline to Israel -- Jerusalem Post

Escalating Tensions And Violence Reported In The Sinai

Report: Egyptian Forces Raid Jihad Cells In Sinai -- Ynet News

Minister Matan Vilnai says Israel received warning that a cell comprised of more than 10 terrorists may carry out attack on Eid al-Fitr as some 1,500 Egyptian troops reportedly mount large-scale operation in Sinai against Jihad operatives



Large Egyptian army forces are battling Jihad operatives in the Sinai Peninsula Tuesday as Israel maintains its heightened alert on the tense southern border with Egypt.



Israel upped its military presence along the border, including the deployment of two navy war ships, following a terror warning that had been received indicating that a cell comprising of 10 operatives was in Sinai and was planning to attack Israeli targets. Earlier this month, terrorists killed eight Israelis after infiltrating the border from Sinai.



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More News On Escalating Tensions And Violence Reported In The Sinai

Israeli Minister: attacks planned against Israel from Sinai -- Ahram Online

Report: Egypt stations 1,500 troops in Sinai -- Ynet News

Israel and Egypt deploy reinforcements in Sinai -- World Bulletin

Israel sends 2 warships to Egyptian border -- AJC

Calls to raise Israel-Egypt treaty troop limits -- AP

Our World: The perils of a remilitarized Sinai -- Caroline Glick, Jerusalem Post



Update: Report: Israel sends 2 warships to Egyptian border -- Ynet News

Angry Egyptians Storm The Israeli Embassy Compound In Cairo

Angry Egyptians Break into Israeli Embassy Compound -- Arutz Sheva

More than 2,000 angry Egyptians broke down barriers at Israel’s embassy in Cairo, burned Israeli flags and raised the Egyptian flag.



More than 2,000 angry Egyptians broke down barriers at Israel’s embassy in Cairo, burned Israeli flags and raised the Egyptian flag, backing up demands by the provisional military government’s cabinet that Egypt expel Israel’s ambassador.



Egyptian police outside the embassy did not try to prevent the crowd from pulling down the Israeli flag from the embassy.



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My Comment: For the caretaker Egyptian government, this is a welcome diversion away from the tensions and unrest that has been directed at them for the past few months. Expect them to play-up and "milk" this incident as much as possible in the next few days/weeks, but behind closed doors they will try their best to diffuse the crisis.



On a side note .... whenever a crisis arose between Israel and Egypt in the past, the U.S. was always front and center in diffusing them. Where is the U.S. today?

Tensions Between Egypt And Israel Escalating

Nations Race To Defuse Crisis Between Egypt And Israel -- New York Times

Egypt and Israel on Saturday, and the Israeli government issued a rare statement of regret for the killing of three Egyptian security officers by an Israeli warplane.



Tensions between the two countries, which on Saturday led Egypt to announce that it would recall its ambassador from Tel Aviv, reached the worst point since the Camp David peace accords three decades ago, spurred by a burst of violence along their shared border in the Sinai Peninsula. A series of attacks there killed eight Israelis on Thursday; the Israeli government then retaliated against Gaza-based militants, and the three Egyptians died in the crossfire.



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My Comment: Israel has apologized for the killing of three Egyptian policemen, but the damage has already been done.

Egyptian Gas Is Still Not Flowing to Israel Raising Tensions Between The Two Contries

Israel gets 40 per cent of its natural gas from Egypt, a deal built on their landmark 1979 peace accord (Reuters)

Dispute Grows as Egyptian Gas Is Still Not Flowing to Israel -- New York Times

JERUSALEM — More than a month after saboteurs blew up an Egyptian pipeline supplying natural gas to Israel, the line is repaired but gas is not flowing and foreign shareholders of the company suspect politics to be the reason. They are threatening legal action against Egypt.

American and Thai shareholders in the pipeline have demanded urgent consultations to avoid resorting to binding arbitration based on trade treaties. One letter to Egyptian ministries from an American company with an Israeli chairman threatens a lawsuit of $8 billion.

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My Comment: Egypt has publicized their own reasons on why the natural gas is not flowing .... but others have different reasons. Either way .... the special relationship between Israel and Egypt is now over.

Israel Permits Egypt To Move Troops Into The Sina

Israel Allows First Egyptian Troops Into Sinai Since 1979 -- M&C

Jerusalem - Israel has allowed Egyptian troops into the Sinai Peninsula for the first time since 1979, Israeli radio reported Monday, while the Israeli president warned of the possibility of the radical Islamist opposition rising to power in Egypt.

A high-ranking member of the government had confirmed that at Egypt's request hundreds of troops had been allowed on to the peninsula because of ongoing protests in the country.

Since the 1979 peace agreement between the two countries, Egypt had only been allowed to station police forces there.

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More News On Egypt Sending Troops Into The Sinai

Israel agrees to some Egyptian troops in Sinai -- AP
Israel lets Egpyt move its troops into Sinai -- Irish Times
Israel allows 800 Egyptian troops into the Sinai -- Global Post
Israel approves first Egyptian military deployment in Sinai since 1979 -- L.A. Times
Egyptian troops hunt Hamas gunmen fighting to control N. Sinai. Two captured -- Debka File
12 dead as Egyptian police, Beduins clash in Sinai -- Jerusalem Post
Palestinians shell western Negev with Grads, mortar attacks -- Jerusalem Post
2 rockets fired from Gaza explode in Israeli towns, causing damage, no injuries -- Canadian Press

My Comment: The Sinai is a very big place .... positioning 800 soldiers will have zero impact.

How Will The Unrest In Egypt Impact Israel

Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu Watching Unrest With 'Vigilance And Worry' -- L.A. Times

Breaking official silence over the escalating unrest in neighboring Egypt, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he was monitoring events with "vigilance and worry" and feared radical Islamists could take advantage of any leadership vacuum.

Netanyahu told a news conference in Jerusalem that he was concerned about the fate of Israel's peace treaty with Egypt should President Hosni Mubarak be forced out of power and replaced by someone more belligerent toward Israel.

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More News On Israel's Concerns With The Revolution In Egypt

Israel worried about Islamic takeover in Egypt -- AP
Israel's Netanyahu fears Egypt could go way of Iran -- Reuters
Netanyahu: Egyptian extremists represent 'tremendous threat' -- CNN
Netanyahu Says Islamists May Exploit Egyptian ‘Chaos’ -- Bloomberg
Netanyahu fears radical Islam takeover in Egypt -- Ynet News
Netanyahu fears extremist regime in Egypt -- CBC
Netanyahu warns outcome of Egypt revolution could be like Iran's -- Haaretz
PM fears Egypt will fall into hands of Islamic radicals -- Jerusalem Post
Israel Watches Egypt Developments -- NPR
Israel Shaken as Turbulence Rocks an Ally -- New York Times
As Egypt's Crisis Grows, So Do the Anxieties in Israel -- Karl Vick, Time Magazine
What do uprisings in Egypt mean for Israel? -- CNN