Israel's ambassador to the US, Dr. Yechiel Leiter, has issued a stark warning about the growing military presence of the Egyptian army in the Sinai Peninsula, in violation of the Israel-Egypt peace treaty, marking the first time an Israeli official has spoken out on the matter. In a recent briefing to Jewish organization leaders in the US, Leiter described the situation as "intolerable."
Speaking to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Leiter stated, "This is an issue that will come up. Egypt is in a very serious violation of our peace agreement in the Sinai. This is an issue which is going to come to the fore, because this is not a tolerable situation."
The ambassador further warned, "There are bases being built, and they can only be used for offensive operations and offensive weapons. This is a clear violation. For a long time, this issue has been shoved to the side, but it continues. This is a issue that we are going to put on the table – very soon and very emphatically."
Leiter's remarks were made on January 28, just days after he took office and before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington two weeks ago.
Israel has so far refused to comment on Egypt's overall military buildup, particularly the deployment of large military forces in Sinai, which contradicts the security annex of the peace treaty. Security and diplomatic sources confirmed that over the years, Egypt has repeatedly moved forces into Sinai in violation of the agreement, only to request retroactive approval from Israel, permission that was consistently granted by Netanyahu.
Dr. Yagil Henkin, a military affairs expert who first warned about these troubling developments in 2018, explained, "This happened through a process of creeping annexation. First, they deployed forces, then they sought retroactive Israeli approval, which was always granted. Even after the operational need ended, the forces were never withdrawn."
Henkin added, "Sinai now has far more weaponry and ammunition than the peace agreement allows. It started with two battalions, and today there are tens of thousands of soldiers and dozens of tanks. Some are concentrated near Egyptian Rafah, while others are stationed near former ISIS strongholds in Sinai. The operational necessity to fight ISIS has passed, yet the forces remain. Additionally, Egypt has developed infrastructure, including bridges, roads, and large tunnels, enabling them to transfer entire divisions into Sinai within hours from the western side of the Suez Canal."
Members of the US Congress are aware of Egypt's violations and intend to bring the issue to the agenda. In an internal discussion among Republican lawmakers, a provision was raised stating, "Egypt is substantially violating the Camp David Accords through the deployment of forces and movement of tanks into Sinai. This poses a strategic threat to Israel's southern border, and specifically falls under US responsibility as the agreement's guarantor."
The agenda item also calls for a review of US economic assistance to Egypt in light of its military presence in Sinai. "American funding to Egypt must be reevaluated based on these agreements. Egypt must be presented with a timeline for withdrawing its forces from the peninsula," the policy proposal states.
