iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app More

Tension Grows For Israel With Egypt, The Arab League and Palestinian Authority

Gaza City

First Posted: 21/08/11 22:05 BST Updated: 21/10/11 11:12 BST

Amazing
 Inspiring
 Funny
 Scary
 Hot
 Crazy
 Important
 Weird

It has been a tense weekend for the Israeli government as they sought to contain the fall-out from the killing of five Egyptian policemen last week. By Sunday, The Arab League had met to discuss what should be done about the deteriorating relations between Israel and Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority.

Eight Israelis were killed in gun attacks in the Sinai last Thursday, but the resulting pursuit of the gunmen ended in the killing of the five Egyptian policemen. Now Israel is facing a diplomatic row over the incident.

In Cairo, the news of the policemen's deaths unleashed a wave of anti-Israeli feeling. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Israeli embassy after Friday prayers, waving Palestinian flags and chanting "Death to Israel".

By Saturday, the Egyptian government had recalled their ambassador to Israel, the first time it has recalled an ambassador in over a decade.

After days of tension, defence minister Ehud Barak eventually apologised for the deaths, saying that "Israel is sorry over the deaths of the Egyptian officers". He has launched a military investigation and a joint inquiry, as demanded by the Egyptian government, who believed his apology to be insufficient.

Egypt was formally one of Israel's only allies in the region and is a strategically vital neighbour, hence the gravity of this diplomatic froideur. Egypt has been a worry for Israel since February when President Mubarak, generally seen as a friend of Israel, was toppled.

The fallout from Thursday's attack in Israel and Gaza itself grew more grave as Israel and Hamas militants exchanged rocket attacks and air strikes into Sunday. 15 Palestinians and one Israeli have died since Friday morning.

The Arab League held an emergency meeting to discuss the worsening crisis in Cairo on Sunday, taking the opportunity to condemn Israel's ongoing air strikes in Gaza. Its 22-member countries from across the Arab world issued a robust response to the Israeli air strikes.

"The United Nations has to take procedures to stop the Israeli offensive on Gaza," Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said. However, Israel has shown no indication of easing its military response.

Tension in the region is sure only to increase over the next month as the Palestinians make a bid for statehood at the UN Security Council on the 20th September.

FOLLOW HUFFPOST UK

It has been a tense weekend for the Israeli government as they sought to contain the fall-out from the killing of five Egyptian policemen last week. By Sunday, The Arab League had met to discuss what ...
It has been a tense weekend for the Israeli government as they sought to contain the fall-out from the killing of five Egyptian policemen last week. By Sunday, The Arab League had met to discuss what ...
Read more from Huffington Post bloggers:
Jonathan Gandomi

Jonathan Gandomi: 66th U.N. General Assembly a Chance for Common Action

There is a saying that people get the government they deserve. I don't subscribe to that view, but I do think that the international community gets the U.N. it deserves.

Filed by Olivia Williams  | 
 
 
  • Comments
  • 30
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Comments are closed for this entry
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
photo
SaneUSA
American, Jew, Zionist.
223 Fans
09:05 PM on 08/24/2011
Egypt should apologize for allowing their border to be a terrorist transit point.
Permalink  |
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Domingo Cardoza
USARMY Ret. _Unabowed America-Firster
122 Fans
05:15 PM on 08/24/2011
Well, while it took them awhile, the killing of another country's sons or daughters, while they are performing their official duties, by another government should have immediately prompt for an act of contrition and regret. Israel says that people are on a campaign to delegitimize Israel, but they fail to see it is acts like the killing of the Egyptian soldiers and showing arrogance that contributes to their Isolation. This act, combined with the dress down of the Turkish Ambassador by Yalon, were key in the distancing of two of the main muslim countries in the region at peace with Israel, and that was completely avoidable.
Permalink  |
photo
RubalKhali
Philosophy is the stray camel of the faithful
797 Fans
07:29 AM on 08/24/2011
While Israel is investigating the shooting of 5 Egyptian they should also investigate the war criminals living in their midst.http://s242816488.onlinehome.us/criminals2/
No doubt they will be let off the hook just as Sharon was, or rewarded with high office, as was the war criminal Sharon.http://s242816488.onlinehome.us/criminals2/
Permalink  |
photo
Edward TJ Brown
27 Fans
08:22 PM on 08/22/2011
Talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict tends to bring out the best and worst in people, often based on the wrong reasons; i.e. wanting to show "solidarity" to a particular ethnic, national, religious or sectarian group. We do not need more people who are eager to say or do whatever they want to prove that they are "pro-Palestinian" or "pro-Israeli". We do need leadership, initially probably an opposition, who can say that they are pro-peace, pro-democratization, pro-environmentalism, pro-tolerance, pro-respect for cultural diversity, pro-universal human rights, pro-social justice, etc for everyone in every nation.
Permalink  |
Thelonius
Lived in Middle East for
411 Fans
08:21 PM on 08/22/2011
Informative short video - Prof. Haim Bresheeth: "Is Change Possible in Israel?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIj0l6C5VqE
Permalink  |
Macready
2516 Fans
03:27 PM on 08/22/2011
the US has to stop supporting israel . . . the only thing israel understands is war and overkill . . . no more tax dollars to aid this rogue apartheid state . . . .
Permalink  |
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
austinreid
Cheers, Prost, Campai, L'chayim
134 Fans
 
04:07 PM on 08/22/2011
The U.S. will never stop supporting our only reliable and stable ally in the Middle East. It is the Palestinians who constantly violate ceasefires and fire rockets and send out terrorists to kill innocent Israelis. Israel is not an apartheid state Arabs and Jews work, live, and travel together Google pictures of Tel Aviv and Haifa and see the proof. This is not possible under an authentic apartheid state.
Permalink  |
colincolindale
63 Fans
01:28 PM on 08/22/2011
Looks like the chickens are coming home to roost. You cannot blockade 500,000 families in Gaza for four years and expect Egypt and surrounding states in which Palestinian exiles live, not to plan action to remedy the injustice and the loss of life. It is extraordinary how myopic is the current right-wing government of Israel to imagine that there would be no consequences to its policies.

The same applies to Turkey. You cannot board a Turkish vessel in international waters, claim to be operating a blockade against a civilian population, and then board and kill nine civilians in cold blood – and expect no consequences. Again, you cannot contaminate one third of Lebanon by deliberately dropping thousands of cluster bombs in an attempt to kill and maim generations of Lebanese, and not expect any consequences from that inhumane action that has made the land uninhabitable.

And in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, you cannot seize homes and private property at gun point and expect there to be no consequences of such criminal actions. There will be consequences.
Permalink  |
photo
SiameseTrainer
...we are Sia..mese if you don't please..
874 Fans
04:21 PM on 08/22/2011
Fanned by the SiameseTrainer. It will be interesting to see how the Arab League Israeli policy changes over time given the transformation of more secular state governments to those which are potentially more Islamic in nature ie. Egypt, Libya, and Syria.
Permalink  |
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
lonewolfwisconsin
TAX churches-ammo-beer-wallstreet transactions
1542 Fans
02:08 AM on 08/22/2011
Every single ounce of "Good Will" the Israelis got from WWII has disappeared as they have since become parasites who create and maintain tension, forcing America to do their bidding while we give them $4 billion a year. Time will give them what they deserve.
Permalink  |
This comment has been removed.
Permalink  |Show replies(1)
photo
giving
For the right to the pursuit of happiness.
197 Fans
10:31 AM on 08/22/2011
Where is your logic and reason
maybe you should watch
your occupation of Wisconsin
first.
Permalink  |
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
keezze
714 Fans
01:08 AM on 08/22/2011
Israel with a great army has allways been clear about the swiftness and devistation of retaliation. If bombs come into israel proper then retaliation will follow. This is good military science. no?
Even thw arab league agrees. Look to libya and syria and see.
Permalink  |
photo
meb1357
Remember Kafr Qasim
124 Fans
 
01:54 AM on 08/22/2011
Seems to be working great huh? Israel is enjoying continuous peace and harmony with its neighbors, and is more secure than ever.

NOT.
Permalink  |
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
stewart mark
77 Fans
12:59 AM on 08/22/2011
the arab league condenms Israel but says nothing of Syria. what a joke.
Permalink  |
photo
Weareonenow
Your Reality is a function of your mental software
549 Fans
02:02 AM on 08/22/2011
Is this what you were missing?

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=311413
Permalink  |
Macready
2516 Fans
03:27 PM on 08/22/2011
they have condemned Syria . . don't you listen to the news?
Permalink  |
mommamia526
442 Fans
10:53 PM on 08/21/2011
Two rockets shot off out of Gaza exploded in Egypt. As I have stated many times, rockets and missiles can be pointed in any direction. Hamas is requesting a cease fire, AFTER Egypt told them to stop. Hamas is at odds with Iran, and not receiving money from Iran, because it is not taking sides in Syria in favor of Assad as demanded by Iran. Warning of the upcoming events were provided by Jordan to Israel well before the first strikes. There is nothing random here, nothing unexpected and Hamas had declared responsibility for the attacks. Hamas has not been able to pay its government personnel since July. It is, as is the PLO, insolvent. Mr. Abbas has stated that he wants quiet before his upcoming bid @ the UN, on September 20. It appears that Hamas may be losing ground. In any case, whether or not Hamas can function as a partner in a Palestinian government under the circumstances of its pronouncements, actions, and internal *differences* with Mr, Abbas, remain an open question. So many questions, and continuously, and no answers. No elections. No Peace. Nothing changes, not een the rhetoric. It appears that the PLO flag is flying on its embassy in Lebanon.
Permalink  |
Thelonius
Lived in Middle East for
411 Fans
08:35 PM on 08/22/2011
The Palestinian flag is also flying on Israel's embassy in Cairo.

With each passing day, Israel is increasingly viewed around the world as a pariah state, a serial violator of hard-won international humanitarian law and a racist, expansionist, occupier. oppressor state. It is also America's number one geopolitical liability, a millstone around our collective neck.

Time, demographics and the thrust of 21st century geopolitics are with the Palestinians.
The handwriting is on the wall. Unfortunately, Israel refuses to read it.

It is timely to remember the wise words uttered by Lessing J. Rosenwald, president of the American Council for Judaism, in 1944: "The concept of a racial state - the Hitlerian concept- is repugnant to the civilized world, as witness the fearful global war in which we are involved. . . , I urge that we do nothing to set us back on the road to the past. To project at this time the creation of a Jewish state or commonwealth is to launch a singular innovation in world affairs which might well have incalculable consequences."
Permalink  |
This comment has been removed.
Permalink  |Show replies(1)
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
abrupt
37 Fans
09:16 PM on 08/21/2011
The sudden flareup also threatened Israel-Egypt relations, after Egypt said five of its policemen were killed by Israeli fire as Israel's troops and aircraft pursued the militants responsible for killing eight people Thursday. Egypt complained strongly as thousands demonstrated in Cairo, and Israel apologized.
The senior Hamas official said Sunday afternoon that militant groups in Gaza agreed that the truce would go into effect Sunday evening. Hamas security personnel would enforce the agreement brokered by Egypt,
Permalink  |
mommamia526
442 Fans
04:16 PM on 08/23/2011
Since the senior Hamas official said that that truce has been broken, I believe, 24 times already, most of it during one day. The exact nr of times is published on the www.israelnn.com website. I read it there .And, remember, that Hamas has taken responsibility for the actions, as it should. The attacks came out of Gaza, Hamas is the leadership there. Two missiles have also been shot directly out of Gaza into Egypt where they exploded. Palestinians infiltrated Egypt. The Hamas agression caused Israeli AND Egyptian deaths. The Hamas actions itself, i.e. the attacks on Israel, were part of an ongoing and continued breach of another cease fire by Hamas. There is an official cease fire since cast lead, and Hamas continues to breach it.
Permalink  |