Israel welcomes ‘Saudisation’ of Egyptian islands

Israeli Defence Minister, Moshe Ya’alon, today welcomed the transfer of the Egyptian islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia saying the kingdom had pledged to respect the Egyptian-Israeli peace deal.

Radio Israel reported that Ya’alon had said at a press conference that the Saudis, who do not have official relations with Israel, would abide by the peace agreement.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was aware of the Saudi-Egyptian agreement and had not objected.

Read: Egypt removes disputed Red Sea islands from primary education curriculums

Egypt closed the Tiran Strait in 1967, prompting Israel to declare war on Egypt and other Arab states. When Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979, Cairo pledged to respect freedom of navigation in Aqaba and Eilat, the only Israeli port leading to the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia said it would abide by the treaty when it receives the islands.

During a session of the Egyptian parliament yesterday, the government presented a detailed report on the treaty, stating that “Egypt occupied the two islands at the request and blessing of Saudi Arabia to protect them from Israeli threats.”

The status of the two islands, Tiran and Sanafir, is unclear pending judicial and legislative decisions. A decision is expected to be issued by the Egyptian Supreme Constitutional Court and another by parliament amid rising public anger over the Egyptian regime’s attempts to prove Saudi ownership of the two islands.

In a ruling by Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court, Judge Ahmed Al-Shadhli stated: “Egyptian sovereignty over the islands of Tiran and Sanafir is beyond doubt.” He added that the court had reached a unanimous verdict.