Diplomats: This is how Egypt will wreak diplomatic havoc
Damaged interests in Africa and having Livni declared persona non grata - hours after Egypt's foreign minister threatens to use diplomatic muscle against Israel, sources familiar with Israel-Egypt relations tell Ynet exactly what kind of an impact Jerusalem can expect
Less than a day after Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit threatened to employ Cairo's diplomatic clout to strike at Israel – sources familiar with Israeli-Egyptian relations reveal the plan of action to Ynet.
Egypt wields considerable influence in numerous countries all around the world and has the capability of using that power to damage Israeli interests, said the diplomatic sources on Monday, particularly stressing Cairo's sway over the continent of Africa.
"Egypt can strike at Israel on the diplomatic field and have Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni declared 'persona non grata' in many nations, as well as deal a diplomatic blow to Israeli relations with those countries," one source said.
The source estimated that unless the current level of tension abate, Egyptian embassies worldwide would be ordered to move to a far more aggressive brand of diplomacy against Minister Livni and Israel in general.
"One more mistake on Livni's part – as far as Egypt is concerned – will be one mistake too many and may prove devastating for her and perhaps for the future of her career," said the source, who asked to remain anonymous.
The boiling point
Egyptian-Israeli ties have been particularly strained since Israel said this month it had sent a videotape to Washington that Israeli officials said showed Egyptian security men helping Hamas militants smuggle arms across the border to the Gaza Strip.
Livni also said last week that Egypt had done a terrible job of trying to stop arms smuggling to Gaza via Egypt's Sinai peninsula, and said there could be regional implications.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak accused Israel of fabricating evidence to implicate Egyptian security men in arms smuggling and said Livni had crossed "red lines".
Egypt also accused Israel last week of encouraging pro-Israeli groups in the United States to lobby members of the US Congress to the detriment of Egyptian interests. Cairo said Israel was trying to distract attention from Jewish settlement building.
Reuters contributed to this report
