Egypt Now Exploits Sinai To Pose New Threat To Israel

Over the last week or so, I have been posting about the aftermath of the Sinai terrorist attack on August 5. One of the concerns, supported by Egypt's illusory retaliations, is that Egypt was playing Israel and might be using their request to put additional troops there to exert their sole sovereignty.

That is what Dr. Aaron Lerner warned against, as I quoted in my post, Are Egyptian Troops Stationed In The Sinai To Exert Full Egyptian Sovereignty There?

Now it appears that is exactly what Morsi and Egypt are up to.

Haaretz reports that Egypt deployed troops in Sinai without Israel's prior approval:

The Egyptian army has been deploying large anti-terrorist forces in parts of the Sinai peninsula without informing Israel in advance. The peace treaty between the two countries limits the Egyptian military presence in Sinai.

Some of the Egyptian forces in the peninsula were sent there with Israel's consent, but Haaretz has learned that forces have also been deployed without Israel's prior approval. Israeli government officials only learned about it after the fact.

Arutz Sheva is reporting that there is growing concern over Egypt's unilateral action: MK: Egyptian Sinai Troop Deployment Beginning of Major Threat:

Commenting on reports that Egypt has deployed forces in Sinai without coordinating the move with Israel, MK Uri Ariel (National Union) said that Israel was acting &ldquolike an ostrich.” Ariel, chairman of the Knesset Oversight Committee, said that &ldquothe Egyptians have for a long time been systematically violating the Camp David peace treaty, but the government of Israel continues to hide its head in the sand.”

Independent of Egypt's own motives, Arutz Sheva suggests Islamist terrorists in the Sinai will use this situation as an opportunity to lure Israel into the Sinai into conflict against the new Egyptian forces, as evidenced by last night's terrorist attack on Eilat.

How quickly last week's terrorist attack that killed 16 Egyptians has turned into Morsi's opportunity to consolidate power and to pose a new threat to Israel.

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