‘Highest levels of decision-makers in Egypt view Israel as imperialist’

A significant and ongoing Egyptian military presence in the Sinai Peninsula, which violates the terms of the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, raises eyebrows and questions. While the military build-up had occurred with Israeli consent over the years to allow Egypt to fight a stubborn ISIS insurgency, its scale and offensive nature, after the ISIS threat has been diminished, have led to growing concern among some in Israel, following the Oct. 7, 2023, mass murder attack by Hamas.

The puzzle for Israeli decision-makers is how to interpret the Egyptian military posture. One school of thought argues that the Egyptian military buildup must be understood through the prism of the Egyptian regime’s worldview and internal pressures.

Ruth Wasserman Lande, a research associate at the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy, a former MK (Blue and White) and former Israeli deputy ambassador to Egypt, told JNS on Wednesday that the Egyptian leadership operates under a deeply ingrained, distorted perception of Israeli intentions. (Read more)