Israeli General: Egypt reinforces our ability to face Hamas

A prominent Zionist commentator accused Israel of letting Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi down and failing to help him confront the challenges faced by his government, despite the strategic partnership he has with Israel.

Avi Sakharov, a commentator on Arab and Palestinian affairs for the online news portal Walla!, said in a report published on the website last night that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ignoring Al-Sisi’s calls to make progress in the negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA). This is despite the fact that this progress would help Al-Sisi eliminate Hamas’ influence in the Gaza Strip.

Sakharov claimed that Al-Sisi sent many messages to Netanyahu warning him that continuing the stalemate in the negotiations with the PA is negatively affecting Egypt’s internal affairs.

“Al-Sisi is aware that his success in containing the Muslim Brotherhood requires greatly weakening Hamas and this can only occur through enhancing the strength of the PA under the leadership of Abu Mazen. Abu Mazen’s power can only be enhanced in the event that negotiations result in an achievement that Abbas can offer to his people,” Sakharov said.

He explained that Al-Sisi cannot help Abbas regain Gaza and contain Hamas in light of the policies adopted by Israel in the West Bank.

Sakharov also brought to mind the fact that the joint interests in dealing a blow to Hamas and reducing its power was the basis for the strategic partnership and close relations between Israel and Al-Sisi’s government.

On the other hand, Sakharov mocked the Egyptian judiciary system which does not take action against the human rights violations in Egypt and its blunt support for Al-Sisi’s policies.

He added: “It seemed that Al-Sisi was not afraid the Supreme Court or human rights organisations would interfere when he ordered the displacement of thousands of Egyptians from their homes in northern Sinai in the aftermath of the recent death of Egyptian soldiers.”

In a related context, the former Israeli ambassador to Egypt, Tzvi Mazel, said that Al-Sisi is seeking to form a regional Arab and African alliance to face the Muslim Brotherhood.

In a report published by the Jerusalem Centre for Community and State Studies yesterday, Mazel noted that Al-Sisi was able to convince an important group in Libya to support him, as well as succeeding in reaching understandings with the Algerian leadership in this regard.

Mazel also pointed out that Al-Sisi hosted the Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir in an attempt to add him to this alliance, despite the fact that the US and Europe are imposing a ban on dealing with Al-Bashir after accusing him of committing war crimes against the people in Darfur.

Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper recently revealed that Israel and Egypt have reached understandings regarding the measures to be taken in order to ensure Hamas’ military strength is contained.

The newspaper noted that according to these understandings, Cairo stopped allowing cement allocated for charity projects into the Gaza Strip, which entered through Egypt to prevent Hamas from using it to build underground tunnels and fortresses.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Egyptian and Israeli sides reached an understanding that stipulates metal pipes would be prevented from entering the Gaza Strip out of fear that Hamas would use them to manufacture missiles.

It also quoted an Israeli general saying that the understandings also stipulates that chemical agricultural manure would not be allowed to enter Gaza in order for it not to be used in manufacturing explosives. It also prevents the entry of cement mixers because Israel claims they are used for producing missiles, as well as any other machines that contribute to the reuse of car parts in manufacturing missiles.

The general explained that Egypt’s behaviour is helping Israel confront Hamas in the next war.