Opinion | Israel's agreement to allow Egypt to increase its forces in Rafah indicates warming of relations, but the move may turn out to be dangerous | Israel today

Israeli neighbor backs counter-terrorism by neighbor to the south: In

parallel with the meeting in Cairo of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett last September, Israel Today reported on the Prime Minister's intention, on the recommendation of defense officials, to accede to Egypt's request to open The military annexes in the peace agreement between the countries and allow the introduction of large forces of the Egyptian army into the demilitarized territories in northern Sinai.

This is to help the security system in Egypt deal with ISIS and the jihadist terrorist organizations that infest Sinai and make a name for themselves in the Egyptian army and police forces on the peninsula.

Bennett meets with Egyptian President al-Sisi // Photo: GPO

This is not the first time that Israel has acceded to Egypt's request to allow the introduction of additional military forces into the demilitarized territories as agreed in the peace agreement between the two countries.

However, in the past it was a limited and relatively short period of time, this time, according to senior Egyptian sources, it was large and armed forces with weapons and weapons of a similar size and size to the Egyptian military forces present in the Sinai Peninsula before the Yom Kippur War.

Since 'Abd al-Fatah al-Sisi seized power in Egypt in 2014, carrying out a second coup in four years and ousting President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian president has faced quite a few challenges that have threatened Israeli society's stability and national and economic security.

Al-Sisi has managed to stabilize the Egyptian economy and financial system which have completely collapsed following the events of the Arab Spring.

The stabilization in Egypt during the years of al-Sisi's rule even led to an impressive recovery in the tourism industry, which completely collapsed, and the return of the tens of millions of tourists who used to visit the country until the outbreak of the global corona epidemic.

Another Israeli tribute.

Prime Minister Bennett and Egyptian President al-Sisi, Photo: Kobi Gideon - GPO

Al-Sisi also succeeded in the energy crisis that befell Egypt, and was even the first to dare to raise the prices of fuel, flour, cigarettes and alcohol by tens of percent for 30 years despite public criticism.

It positions, once again, Egypt as an influential regional power while tightening Cairo's political and security relations with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and of course Israel.

Al-Sisi emphasizes at every opportunity the importance of the peace agreement between the countries and its observance.

However, despite the impressive achievements in foreign and domestic policy, security and economy, al-Sisi and the Egyptian defense establishment have over the years suffered dire failures in dealing with the eradication of extremist Islamic terrorist organizations operating mainly in the northern Sinai Peninsula, and the rise of ISIS.

Time and time again, these same organizations have succeeded in harming the Egyptian military and police forces stationed in Sinai and embarrassing Egypt's preventive security and intelligence system, which is helpless in the face of the strengthening and armament of ISIS and Islamist jihadist organizations in the Sinai Peninsula.

Helpless in the face of terrorist organizations.

Egyptian army forces, Photo: Reuters

Al-Sisi - who was defense minister when he carried out the coup against President Morsi who appointed him to the post and had previously held senior positions in the Egyptian General Staff - understood from the outset the importance of eliminating ISIS and jihadist organizations. Caused the deaths of hundreds of Egyptian civilians and injured thousands in a series of horrific attacks in Cairo and other cities in the country.

The fact that Israel willingly accepts that Egypt's large and pentagonal military forces will be stationed in Rafah right on the border between the two countries, indicates a positive warming in relations with Egypt.

It must not be forgotten, however, that two coups have taken place in Egypt in the last decade, with the second coup to overthrow the Muslim Brotherhood regime led by al-Sisi himself, who was exposed as defense minister to the actions of then-President Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood man.

Morsi worked for five Muslim Brotherhood militias in Egypt and Sinai, as well as Hamas and other terrorist organizations at the expense of the Egyptian army, severely harming Egypt's security and national interests.

Egypt is no longer a country in the Middle East and maintaining good relations with it is of paramount importance for the first time in Israel's security interests.

However, the political and security-military echelons in charge of permitting the deployment of Egyptian military forces must remember that in the jungles of the Middle East anything can happen and no one knows what a day will bring.