Most Arab regimes have close ties with Israel: Analyst

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the closing session of an African summit meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, June 10, 2015 (© AFP)

Press TV has conducted an interview with Aly el-Kabbany, a journalist and writer in London, to get his take on Egypt’s decision to appoint an ambassador to Israel.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: What do you make of this appointment of a new ambassador to Israel by Egypt? There are many who are saying this goes to show that the government of Sisi is even more pro-Israel than Hosni Mubarak was.

El-Kabbany: That goes without saying. The Israeli ex-defense minister said that Mubarak was strategic treasure for Israel. And now the Israelis are saying ‘we are having a better president in Sisi than even Mubarak.’ He created for them a buffer zone, which they have been asking for 15 years. Mubarak, with the help of pressure from the Americans, to create this buffer zone... and even Mubarak couldn’t do that, because he has got the historic city of the Egyptian Rafah, but in three days, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his military regime ordered the indigenous inhabitants to leave their historic city and they destroyed all the houses to create this five kilometers buffer zone.

Also as your program mentioned, the relations between the military regime in Egypt and the Israelis are now very close. Sisi’s regime are helping them in completing the siege over Gaza and they are allowing the Egyptian army to move in Zone B and Zone A in Sinai, which was prohibited for the Egyptian army to go in these areas according to Camp David Treaty.

Press TV: So, Mr. Kabbany, there are those who view these ties with Israel as far as Egypt is concerned as part of a counter-revolution, which is basically undoing each and every principle of the revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak. Do you see it that way?

El-Kabbany: Certainly. The counter-revolution... came back to power to bring the military regime back, to bring Mubarak’s regime back, but Arab regimes like Mubarak’s regime and other Arabs regimes in the [Persian] Gulf area used to be shy and hide their close relation with Israel. But now, Sisi and his likes are keeping these relations in public and they are proud of it and even he went on American TV stations and German TV station saying that he will not allow anybody to attack Israel from the Egyptian land and he is, i.e. the Egyptian army, responsible for the security of the Israelis.

So, really the Israeli-Arab regime cooperation have never been closer than the current bad days. Also we just heard yesterday that there were Israeli airplane fighters joining the Saudi airstrikes to bombard Yemen. And also yesterday, 20 Israeli officers were found in Prince Khalid Airbase in Khamis Mushait in Saudi Arabia. So, the cooperation now between the Israeli army and most of the Arab regimes of the area is very very close.

ABN/HJL


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