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Secret understandings between Israel and Al-Sisi, report

June 9, 2014 at 11:55 am

A report by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth suggested that the Sisi regime has forged secret deals with Israel.

According to the newspaper’s military affairs commentator Ron Ben-Yishai, Israel maintains “secret ties” with Al-Sisi and other Arab regimes which have joint interests with Israel.

The report praised Al-Sisi for not inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the swearing in ceremony Sunday, pointing out that instability in Egypt and the Arab world requires a “calm pace” in mutual relations with Cairo, and that this policy should also extend to other Arab allies by maintaining “under-the-table” relations.

“Israel must seize opportunities gained in the wake of the Arab Spring in order to establish and develop good relations with neighbours,” the report said. “But at the same time, it should be cautious not to seem overly amicable with one Arab state. At present, any unnecessarily public ties between Israel and Arab regimes with which we need to develop our relations would defeat their purpose.”

The report added that Egypt should be considered as “a stabilising factor in the region,” because of its commitment to the peace treaty.

Concerning relations with Saudi Arabia, Israel has an interest in Egypt’s economic recovery, it added. “But Israel does not need to reveal its close ties with any Arab country.”

“In practice, since the Arab tremor, a calm semi-partnership has emerged between Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. However, we should not announce that out loud, why? Because it is likely that the Egyptian economy will continue to deteriorate, and then the people’s anger will shift to Israel, and perhaps the Egyptian army will have to act.”

The writer called for “a new Israeli security mindset” based on “calm partnerships” with the region.

He concluded that the Sisi regime is a unique case, “since Israel has the key to its access to the US and any military or economic aid from it, while the Egyptian regime has the key to calm on Israeli western borders.”