Is Egypt on a collision path with Israel?

“Egypt is acting as though it is preparing for war with Israel,” but this needs to be put in the right context Ruth Wasserman Lande, a former Israeli deputy ambassador to Egypt, told JNS on Thursday. Egypt has built up its military presence in the Sinai Peninsula with tunnels, storage facilities, manpower and equipment “far beyond” the terms of its 1979 peace treaty with Israel, said Wasserman Lande, a senior research fellow at the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy.

Furthermore, Cairo has recently conducted a joint naval drill with Ankara, the first such exercise after a 13-year hiatus, the Arab affairs expert added. This latest development is “very worrying, because it doesn’t make sense for Egypt to attack Israel on its own, but it is feasible to do so with Turkey,” Wasserman Lande said.

The actions of both Muslim countries establish the conditions for casus belli, which consist of war declarations, intent and military capability, albeit Egypt is a little far behind with regard to the latter, she noted.

"The Egyptian [anti-Israel] declarations are getting worse by the day,” Wasserman Lande said.Egypt moreover hosts senior Hamas officials in its territory, a fact that goes under the radar in the media, she continued. The two even made a pact before Oct. 7, 2023, that the terrorist group will not target Egypt or cooperate with Islamic terrorist cells inside Egyptian territory, while Cairo will overlook weapons smuggled into Gaza, she added. (Read More)