Israeli military chief 'very concerned' about Egyptian security threat
Israel's outgoing military chief Herzi Halevi has warned of Egypt becoming a security threat in the near future.
Asked about Cairo's capabilities during an interview with Israel's Channel 14 published on Wednesday, Halevi said: "We are very concerned about this."
"This is not at the top of our priorities. We have to give priority to our problems. Egypt has a large army. It has advanced weapons, advanced aircraft, advanced submarines, and missile ships," he added.
Halevi resigned as chief of the general staff of the Israeli military on 21 January, citing failures in relation to Hamas' surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. His resignation will take effect on 6 March.
He told Channel 14 that Egypt had a "very large number" of advanced tanks and ground forces.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
"We believe that this is not a threat now, but this situation can change in a moment. In 2011, [Mohamed] Morsi took power with the Muslim Brotherhood," he said, referring to Egypt's first democratically elected president.
"Suddenly, this entire army had another leadership, which could have suddenly turned against you."
Morsi was seen by many Palestinians as a friend to their cause, who worked to stop Israeli assaults and lift Israel's siege on Gaza.
'Sisi might be unable to completely reject Trump’s request, yet accepting it could be catastrophic for his regime'
- Egyptian source
He was overthrown in a 2013 coup by his defence minister, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has since maintained an authoritarian grip on power.
Earlier this month, Middle East Eye reported that President Donald Trump's announcement that the US planned to "own" Gaza and move Palestinians in the enclave to Egypt and Jordan sent shockwaves across Egyptian diplomatic and intelligence circles.
Sisi has flatly rejected the plans, and held talks with other Arab leaders seeking to come up with an alternative plan.
After Trump's comments, hundreds of Egyptian tanks were spotted in the city of Rafah in North Sinai, a region subject to military restrictions under the Egypt-Israel peace treaty.
"Sisi might be unable to completely reject Trump’s request, yet accepting it could be catastrophic for his regime," a well-placed source told MEE.
"Some officials have begun using previously unheard phrases in Egyptian political circles, such as ‘the end of the regime’s legitimacy’ and concerns about a possible coup if the plan is accepted."
Last week, a senior Egyptian official told MEE that Egypt and Jordan had successfully dissuaded Trump from his Gaza proposal and got the US behind an Egyptian post-war plan for the enclave.
"This will be an Egyptian plan adopted and supported by the Arabs," the official said. "That is what Trump has agreed to."
Sisi has been accused of enabling Israel’s siege on Gaza during the latest conflict, and for allowing state-linked companies to profit from the movement of people and aid via the Rafah crossing.
Egypt was the first Arab state to normalise relations with Israel in 1979.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
