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Barak prepares for Cairo trip amidst growing tensions

'No one wants to see our relations with Egypt go up in flames,' say Jerusalem officials as diplomatic clash over Gaza smuggling strains upcoming visit by Defense Minister Barak with President Mubarak

Senior State officials were burning the midnight oil in the small hours of Wednesday morning in an eleventh-hour effort to cool tensions and pave the way for Defense Minister Ehud Barak's journey to Sharm el-Sheikh later in the day for a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

 

"Our relations with Egypt are of the utmost importance and no one intended to bring them to a boiling point," said the officials after a tense diplomatic bout ensued following Foreign Affair Minister Tzipi Livni's admonition of Egypt for failing to prevent the smuggling of arms across its border into Gaza.

 

Speaking at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday, Livni said Egyptian security forces were doing a "terrible job" in securing the Philadelphi Route. In a thinly veiled message to Cairo, Livni said that the incessant cross-border smuggling would take its toll on relations between Israel and Egypt.

 

The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a strongly-worded rebuttal of Livni's claims, saying it would be better "for the Israeli minister to concentrate on negotiation efforts with the Palestinians, instead of speaking randomly about issues she should not be dealing with if she is not fully aware of the situation."

 

Israel is concerned that Hamas is using the subterranean tunnels under the Egypt-Gaza border to amass ammunition and explosives as it braces for another round of fighting. IDF officials believe hundreds of tons of explosives have been smuggled into Gaza through the tunnels.

 

Several weeks ago the IDF sent video footage proving the complicity of Egyptian security forces in the smuggling operations to the military attaché to the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC a few weeks ago. The tapes capture Egyptian police officers helping smugglers across the border or standing by while smugglers went about their business, Israeli defense officials said.

 

Egyptian officials slammed the tapes as forgeries and said it was impossible to film any border activity with 750 border guards patrolling the frontiers around the clock.

 

A senior State official in Jerusalem said the incriminating tapes had been presented to Egyptian security representatives weeks ago. Amos Gilad, head of the Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Branch, personally delivered the tapes to Cairo to emphasize the magnitude of the problem. The IDF has numerous similar tapes and the Egyptians are well aware of Israel's growing discomfort over the matter.

 

"The information regarding the smuggling has so far been relayed through the regular diplomatic channels, including the tapes, in the belief that they would pay heed to our concerns and could then deal with the problems on the ground. Neither country fares well by this public sparring display," said the official.

 

"Israel sees Egypt as an important strategic partner in the Middle East in general and the Palestinian conflict in particular. We are very appreciative of the Egyptian's cooperation and are confident that they are capable of handling these problems. After all, they too have no interest in strengthening extremist terror groups such as Hamas."

 

Barak to discuss release of Gilad Shalit

Prior to his departure on Wednesday, Barak said that Israel's peaceful relations with Egypt were a strategic asset. "As in the past, when there are differences of opinion, they must be resolved," he said.

Despite the bitter tensions however, Barak is expected to discuss the smuggling issue with Mubarak as well as with General Omar Suleiman, head of Egyptian Intelligence and Egyptian Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi.

 

The defense minister will also raise the burning matter of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held captive in Gaza since June 2006. Barak hopes to further Egypt's role as mediators in clandestine negotiations over his release.

 

Another central issue on the agenda is Egypt's stance towards Hamas. Israel believes that Egypt's working assumption of choosing not to confront the organization has led to inaction. Barak will have to convince the Egyptians of Hamas' intensions to prompt Cairo into taking action against the group.

 

Israeli officials have tried to lower expectations ahead of the meeting and no major breakthroughs are expected.

 

Hanan Greenberg and AP contributed to this report

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.26.07, 01:56
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