Egypt's prime minister triggered angry consternation in Israel on Thursday after declaring that the historic Camp David accords underpinning peace between the two countries were "not a sacred thing".
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, embrace as US President Jimmy Carter applauds during a White House announcement of a Middle East peace agreement reached at the Camp David Summit earlier that year in 1978 Photo: AP
By Adrian Blomfield, Tel Aviv
9:28PM BST 15 Sep 2011
702 Comments
Dramatically heightening tensions during an increasingly volatile time in Israel's relations with the Arab world, Essam Sharaf's suggestions that the 32-year treaty could be revised prompted disbelief in the Jewish state.
"The Camp David agreement is not a sacred thing and is always open to discussion with what would benefit the region and the case of fair peace," Mr Sharaf told Turkish television. "We could make a change if needed."
Coming just days after an angry mob stormed the Israeli embassy in Cairo, Israeli officials said they were staggered more by the timing of Mr Sharaf's comments than their actual content. "Less than a week ago, we had the problem with the embassy," an Israeli official said. "I don't think a responsible prime minister should say things like that."
Reeling from a noxious diplomatic row with Turkey and fearing that an expected Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN next week will heighten its growing sense of isolation.
On Thursday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, raised the stakes by repeating his intention to deploy warships in the Mediterranean to challenge Israeli "aggression".
Related Articles
Israel watches its old alliances crumble - 12 Sep 2011
Egypt: US pleas ignored as mob attacked Israeli embassy - 11 Sep 2011
Egypt: Israel seeks calm after embassy bomb - 11 Sep 2011
Egyptian commandos rescue six Israelis - 10 Sep 2011
Egypt: petrol bombs met with teargas - 10 Sep 2011
"Israel cannot do whatever it wants in the eastern Mediterranean," he said. "They will see what our decision will be on this subject. Our navy attack ships can be there at any moment."
Israel has spoken of its determination to defuse tensions with Egypt in the wake of last week's embassy raid.
Until yesterday, Egypt's transitional military leadership had responded in kind, insisting that it wanted to uphold the Camp David accords, whose historic agreement in 1978 is widely seen as ending the cycle of Israeli-Arab wars that erupted in the preceding 30 years.
But, in the wake of the popular revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak, the former president, in February, Egypt's present crop of transitional leaders have been forced to take into account the view of ordinary Egyptians, many of whom remain deeply suspicious of Israel. Mr Mubarak, by contrast, assiduously upheld the treaty with Israel, even assisting in imposing an Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has a border with Egypt.
Public anger towards the Jewish state mounted after Israeli troops in pursuit of suspected militants inadvertently shot dead five Egyptian border guards, leading to last Friday's riot at the embassy.
In the aftermath of the revolution, a number of civilian politicians likely to contest presidential elections in Egypt at the end of the year have said they want to revise "humiliating" aspects of the treaty with Israel.
In particular, they want the right to take fuller economic and military control of the Sinai region, which Israel occupied after the Six Day War of 1967 but handed back after the peace treaty of 1979, signed a year after the meeting at Camp David brokered by then US president Jimmy Carter.
Israeli officials in private say such demands are not unreasonable, and could even be beneficial given the growing lawlessness of the Sinai region. But the phrasing of Mr Sharaf's comments, particularly that the treaty is not "scared", is seen as incendiary.
"Others who have said this kind of thing have been presidential candidates but this is the prime minister – that is what is disturbing," the Israeli official said. "He should be more careful."
By making his comments to Turkish television, Mr Sharaf appeared to be attempting to burnish his populist credentials.
He spoke just after Prime Minister Erdogan had completed a visit to Egypt.
Seeking to present himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, a stance that has won him huge popularity in the Arab world, Mr Erdogan has kept up a steady stream of invective against Israel in recent days.
Earlier this month he expelled Israel's ambassador to Turkey, downgraded diplomatic relations and suspended defence ties after Israel refused to apologise for killing nine Turkish nationals during its botched raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last year.
Increasing Israel's sense of vulnerability, a last-ditch US bid to prevent the Palestinian Authority from making a controversial bid for statehood appeared to have failed yesterday, setting the stage for a major diplomatic showdown at the United Nations next week.
Palestinian officials signalled their determination to defy stiff opposition from Washington by pressing ahead with a formal application for UN membership after the annual session of the General Assembly opens in New York on Monday.
With Israel threatening "harsh and grave consequences" if the bid goes ahead, President Barack Obama sent his closest Middle East advisers, Dennis Ross and David Hale, to the West Bank to persuade Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, to back down.
But aides in the Palestinian city of Ramallah said that, although he would hear the Americans out, Mr Abbas would not be dissuaded from pursuing a cause seen as vital to his political survival. The Palestinian leader is due to address the General Assembly next Friday, Sept 23rd.
"We will see if anyone carries with him or her any credible offer that will allow us to look into it seriously and to be discussed win the Palestinian leadership," said Riyad al-Malki, the Palestinian foreign minister. "Otherwise, on the 23rd at 12.30, the president will submit the application."
***
Showing 25 of 702 comments
sylvesterthecat
09/17/2011 01:41 PMRecommended by
3 peopleI have read and re-read the first ten pages of this thread and frankly, I've never read such a sterile discussion with people on each side presenting the same old well rehearsed arguments.
What's sad is that they usually end their contribution by hurling abuse at those across the gulf that divides them. Their contempt for each other is obvious.
I think the Israelis and Palestinians deserve one another.
Consequently I am exceedingly grateful to the deity (of your choice) or simple blind chance, that arranged matters so that neither of these peoples inhabited any country adjoining the UK.
After all, only an idiot would want either of them as neighbours.
______ Am Israel chai el Yahud
Yesterday 12:41 PM Recommended by 2 people
sylvester you got hoards of them in manchester leeds bolton east london you know the type who burn flags and blow up tube trains with innocent people or or were you having a catnap for the last 20 years
JohnWV
09/17/2011 11:52 AM Recommended by 3 people
Ongoing war against occupied Palestine greatly benefits Israel. The context of war perpetuates enormous American military assistance, abets illegal land confiscation and construction, and defers the Jewish State's reflection on its ruined integrity. Nearly one hundred
Palestinians killed for each Jew; just Israel's continuous exercise
of the right to defend itself.
JohnWV
09/17/2011 11:50 AM Recommended by 4 people
There is no peace process, only a charade. UN recognition as an Observer State is a sure thing and includes access to international criminal courts. Palestine will be able to petition against Israel for war crimes, crimes against humanity, illegal occupation and a variety of other transgressions. Israeli miscreants traveling abroad will be subject to arrest and trial. Israel may ultimately be made to accept a Palestine with UN enforced autonomy, eviction of all settlers, true contiguity encompassing Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem together, neither pinched norparceled, and pay punitive reparations of justly debilitating magnitude.
omega_files
09/17/2011 11:24 AMRecommended by 13 people
The world need a missile shield around Israhell because they threaten the world with their nuclear weapons. The world needs a no fly zone over Israhell because they bomb Palestinians with their air force.
Steve Taylor
09/17/2011 11:09 AM Recommended by 5 people
So if accords that have been agreed upon and signed are not sacred does that mean we just cant trust the new Egypt to ever keep its word? This is not a reassuring story.
______ fergus_mason
09/17/2011 04:53 PM Recommended by 1 person
Equally we could ask why the USA isn't honouring the Treaty of Tripoli, which would seem to require them to support Gadaffi. The fact is that treaties can be renegotiated or annulled; they are NOT sacred. Additionally, governments are not generally regarded as being bound by the decisions of their predecessors, so if the new Egyptian regime want to renegotiate or tear up the Camp David agreement (which they DIDN'T AGREE TO, remember) they are perfectly within their rights to do so.
simon
09/17/2011 07:23 AM Recommended by 6 people
No 666 eh? Well that settles it, Apocalypse Now!
I wonder if those of the jewish belief system are as exclusive about our participation in their Armageddon as they are about their being their god's Chosen People (i.e. real humans as opposed to the rest of us 'cattle')
______ Dr_Drug
09/17/2011 09:36 AM
The belief of the Jews being God's Chosen People comes from the scriptures.
"Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has chosen us out of all the nations and bestowed upon us His Torah."
The Jews have always considered their chosen status a mixed blessing. Now I know why. Not so much chosen, as singled-out?
ganef_returns
09/17/2011 07:11 AM Recommended by 3 people
I notice the number of comments, before this one, at exactly 666. What an appropriate number.
simon
09/17/2011 06:42 AM Recommended by 10 people
hasbarah are soooo busy on the blogs and comments theses days.
But no matter, israel is finished and thank the goddess for that.
______ Am Israel chai el Yahud
Yesterday 12:45 PM
Well since the last bastion of Freedom and it is that exactly according to you is about to fall, then chuck away you shaving gear and pig meat out the fridge as sharia is about to come to a place near you hope you learn arabic quickly so you can pray and not get beaten by clubs 5x a day good luck.
______ Dr_Drug
09/17/2011 09:38 AM Recommended by 2 people
Assorted fatah are sooo busy on the blogs and comments these days.
(Edited by a moderator)
____________ Dr_Drug
09/17/2011 02:12 PM Recommended by 1 person
Moderator censors Mukhabarat (Arabic for Secret Police) but keeps fatah (arabic for, well this is a family newspaper...)
____________ fergus_mason
09/17/2011 05:01 PM
It is indeed a family newspaper, but as "fatah" is Arabic for "victory" I don't see an issue.
Now, any more lies and insinuations you'd care to spread, or are we done?
AbuAbuka
09/17/2011 01:01 AM Recommended by 2 people
Egypt is not a viable economic entity. It means they are not able to maintain modern armed forces or train them. Plus Russians gave an invaluable gift to Israel: they buit the Assuan dam. If one blows it's central pillar the wave moving into the Delta will wipe out Cairo. The peace treaty is about to disappear and it will cost to Israel but it might solve it's border problem once and for all. Sorry, friends, but that is how you have trained us, Jews, to think and act.
______ chris4077
09/17/2011 11:29 AMRecommended by
6 peopleWhich of course would be a war crime.
____________ AbuAbuka
09/17/2011 12:04 PM Recommended by 1 person
It all depends who wins. For example, the incineration of 700,000 civilians caused by a carpet bombing by the Royal Air Force during last days of WWII was not treated as a crime because Germans lost it. Or the occupation of Falklands and wars against Argentina never were considered worthy investigation of the courts. Should we go on ?
____________ fergus_mason
09/17/2011 04:58 PM Recommended by 1 person
"carpet bombing by the Royal Air Force"
And the US Army Air Force, don't forget that. Or don't you want to accuse your benefactor of war crimes? Scared that if you call them mass murderers the Americans will leave you to face the consequences of your own arrogance and brutality?
For the record the RAF flew 364,514 bombing sorties against Germany; the USAAF flew over 800,000. Estimated German civilian deaths are 305,000 in total, from both RAF and USAAF attacks. Get your facts right before you start slinging accusations around.
____________ fergus_mason
09/17/2011 04:56 PM
As I recall, Britain has only fought one war against Argentina and they started it. Israel supported the aggressors in that war with military aid. Should we go on?
"that is how you have trained us, Jews, to think and act."
What, like Nazis?
Afzal
09/17/2011 12:06 AM
the arabic فلسطين is t b translitratid 'filisteen' - Is that what they'l name it? Most muslims frget: Isra-eel is another name fr Jacub/James.
But wot du names matr: can't evrywun liv in pees evn if they col ther land 'Cheddar'?
1Pat
09/16/2011 10:35 PM Recommended by 6 people
I was moderated and yet I did not swear or attack anyone, I wonder who I offended for me to be censored.
Islamic countries surrounding Israel intend to annihilate the Jewish state, fact and no degree of censorship will change that.
NS
______ VictorMC
09/16/2011 10:47 PM Recommended by 12 people
1Pat. Dear me which damp stone did crawl from under-where have you been all day, in your dreamworld?
If you talk like that you need to be censored ....permanently.
____________1Pat
09/16/2011 11:26 PM
Sorry “VictorMC” I’ve been reviewing embryology literature today so had little time to fully articulate anyway since we are now discussing my being “permanently censored” I doubt you could.
NS
Am Israel chai el Yahud
09/16/2011 07:19 PM Recommended by 8 people
A survey in Europe asked what is the pop of Israel the majority answered over 40 million and a few even thought Israel to be larger than Alaska and some of these dimwits are posting here ,
Next they will be saying the JEWS own all the banks and the press......and Murdoch is a orthodox rabbi
___________
What do you think ?
Các anh chị nghĩ thế nào, có ý kiến, phê bình gì qua bài viết "Egypt declares Camp David accords with Israel 'not a sacred thing'" và 25 ý kiến phê bình trong số "702 Comments" của độc giả ?
Và người VN BỊ MẤT NƯỚC vào tay bè lũ phản quốc CƯỚP NƯỚC DIỆT CHỦNG BÁN NƯỚC Việt gian cộng sản VN học thêm được bài học kinh nghiệm gì không qua bài viết "Egypt declares Camp David accords with Israel 'not a sacred thing'" cũng như những ý kiến phê bình trên ?
Chân thành cám ơn Quý Anh Chị ghé thăm "conbenho Nguyễn Hoài Trang Blog"
Xin được lắng nghe ý kiến chia sẻ của Quý Anh Chị trực tiếp tại Diễn Đàn Paltalk: 1Latdo Tapdoan Vietgian CSVN Phanquoc Bannuoc .
Kính chúc Sức Khỏe Quý Anh Chị .
conbenho
Tiểu Muội quantu
Nguyễn Hoài Trang
20092011
___________
CSVN là TỘI ÁC
Bao che, dung dưỡng TỘI ÁC là đồng lõa với TỘI ÁC
No comments:
Post a Comment