Washington

- A former US official now working with a research organization that tracks the Israeli lobby in America warned that any future changes in Egypt may pose a direct threat to Israel's security, especially in the Sinai Peninsula, after the escalation of violence there led to an increase in the numbers and composition of the military forces. Egypt, in a way that was not permitted in the security provisions of the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement signed in 1979.

David Schenker, director of the Arab Politics Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy - the intellectual and research arm of the American-Israeli Relations Committee (AIPAC) - said in an analysis recently distributed by the institute, that there is unprecedented military cooperation between Cairo and Israel in the Sinai, which included Israeli air support for Egyptian operations.

However, he warned at the same time that this rapprochement made Israel allow armed Egyptian military forces to enter Sinai, which he considered a violation of the terms of the Camp David peace agreement between Egypt and Israel signed by former President Anwar Sadat, which clearly prohibits the freedom of movement of the Egyptian army in Sinai, except Within very narrow limits, with light weapons, and with prior Israeli approval only.

Schenker, who previously worked as an assistant to the US Secretary of Defense, confirmed that the cooperation between Egypt and Israel contributed to the mutual consent to commit grave violations of the peace treaty concluded between them on March 26, 1979, following the Camp David agreement in 1978, or more precisely, the security annex. The treaty that limits the military deployment in Sinai.

And he added, "Israel allowed Egypt to bring in a flood of troops and heavy equipment into the Sinai, in a way that greatly exceeds the treaty's restrictions."

It is not known why Schenker warned against the Egyptian military presence in Sinai at this particular time, despite the presence of a clear rapprochement between Israel and the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, but he alluded to fears that Israel or America would be unable to change the Egyptian military presence in the event of political changes. in Egypt.

He cited his words about the unexpected change in Egypt in 2011 during the Arab Spring, stressing that it still represents a great concern among the Zionist lobby in America, which he failed to predict at the time, despite his dedication to the capabilities of Aura to monitor the situation in the Arab region and in Egypt in particular. It has the largest population and largest military power.

In his warnings, Schenker went on to point out that "only a decade has passed since the Egyptian revolution brought an Islamist president openly hostile to Israel," referring to former President Mohamed Morsi.

Schenker added that what has brought Israel and Egypt closer militarily to this remarkable extent is the participation in fighting the Islamic State in Sinai, in addition to limiting the role of the resistance in Gaza.

"Now that the Islamic State is apparently under control, it will become more difficult to return to the restrictions imposed by the treaty, primarily the return of the large Egyptian forces to the western bank of the Suez Canal," he added.

The Egyptian army sent large numbers of troops and armored vehicles to Sinai to confront ISIS (communication sites)

underground bunker

However, the former American official known for his Zionist tendencies, listed some of the features of the Egyptian military presence, which began to worry the Zionist lobby circles in Israel.

He revealed that Egypt had established a command headquarters in Sinai for the Second and Third Armies, as well as a special headquarters for the "Unified Command for the East Canal Region", which manages counter-terrorism operations in the Sinai Peninsula.

According to Egyptian reports, this complex in Jabal Umm Khasheeb is equipped with an operations center located in a fortified basement at a depth of 89 feet underground, in addition to the Egyptian army building a large naval facility in East Port Said inside the Sinai.

Schenker also warned of US indications of a decline in its role in Sinai, where the US Department of Defense regularly presents initiatives to reduce the size of the US contingent of 452 soldiers in the "International Multinational Force", which has a strength of 1,154 personnel.

American unity is the backbone of this force.

According to the terms of the agreement, the security provisions of which were not disclosed in Egypt, the security annex divides the Sinai Peninsula into 3 regions, and stipulates, among other things, the possibility of Egypt deploying only one mechanized infantry division with up to 22,000 soldiers, 230 tanks and 480 armored vehicles For elements in Zone A, which is closest to the Suez Canal.

Only border guards and civil police are permitted in Areas B and C, respectively, the two areas closest to Israel.