Official relations between Egypt and Israel warmed up slightly today with the visit of Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher in Israel. Maher met with Prime Minister Sharon and with Foreign Minister Shalom, and the atmosphere was congenial, but it does not appear that Egypt will be returning its ambassador to Tel Aviv - and certainly not to Jerusalem - any time soon.
It was reported that Sharon told Maher that Israel would not sign a hudna (temporary ceasefire) agreement with terrorist organizations - but would also not attack those who do not attack Israelis. This appears to be a departure from Israel's traditional position that a hudna is downright dangerous for Israel, as it allows the terrorists to rebuild their terrorist capabilities and infrastructures. Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA notes that during the previous hudna period, "the Palestinians were able to extend the range of their Kassam rockets to reach the Ashkelon industrial zone, and also begin production of the Kassam rockets in [Judea and Samaria]."
Prime Minister Sharon and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak have not met since Sharon became Prime Minister almost three years ago - though Shalom met with Mubarak last month in Geneva. The French news agency AFP reported last week that Iranian President Mohammad Khatami had said that Mubarak's "viewpoints in such areas as Iraq and Palestine were close to those of Iran." Mubarak himself made similar remarks this month.
"One of the worst-kept secrets in our region," writes columnist Carolyn Glick, "is that aside from Iran's nuclear weapons program, Egypt is the greatest looming threat to Israel's national security." In a recent Jerusalem Post article, Glick noted Egypt's role in attempting to mediate a hudna ceasefire - which is aimed, as Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuval Shteinitz has said, only at "preserving the terror capabilities of Hamas." More significantly, Egypt has done nothing to stop the smuggling of arms and terrorists to PA-controlled Rafiach, and spends a full quarter of its GDP on its military. "The Egyptian military has already achieved absolute superiority against any Middle Eastern and African state," Shteinitz told Glick. "Egypt has no military threat to deal with from [them]. It is clear that Egypt is working to achieve military parity with Israel. This is made all the more dangerous when one bears in mind that in the event of a war, Egypt will not be fighting by itself but rather as part of a coalition of Arab states."
It was reported that Sharon told Maher that Israel would not sign a hudna (temporary ceasefire) agreement with terrorist organizations - but would also not attack those who do not attack Israelis. This appears to be a departure from Israel's traditional position that a hudna is downright dangerous for Israel, as it allows the terrorists to rebuild their terrorist capabilities and infrastructures. Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA notes that during the previous hudna period, "the Palestinians were able to extend the range of their Kassam rockets to reach the Ashkelon industrial zone, and also begin production of the Kassam rockets in [Judea and Samaria]."
Prime Minister Sharon and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak have not met since Sharon became Prime Minister almost three years ago - though Shalom met with Mubarak last month in Geneva. The French news agency AFP reported last week that Iranian President Mohammad Khatami had said that Mubarak's "viewpoints in such areas as Iraq and Palestine were close to those of Iran." Mubarak himself made similar remarks this month.
"One of the worst-kept secrets in our region," writes columnist Carolyn Glick, "is that aside from Iran's nuclear weapons program, Egypt is the greatest looming threat to Israel's national security." In a recent Jerusalem Post article, Glick noted Egypt's role in attempting to mediate a hudna ceasefire - which is aimed, as Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuval Shteinitz has said, only at "preserving the terror capabilities of Hamas." More significantly, Egypt has done nothing to stop the smuggling of arms and terrorists to PA-controlled Rafiach, and spends a full quarter of its GDP on its military. "The Egyptian military has already achieved absolute superiority against any Middle Eastern and African state," Shteinitz told Glick. "Egypt has no military threat to deal with from [them]. It is clear that Egypt is working to achieve military parity with Israel. This is made all the more dangerous when one bears in mind that in the event of a war, Egypt will not be fighting by itself but rather as part of a coalition of Arab states."