A Long Peace Is Threatened in Israel Attack
By HEBA AFIFY and ISABEL KERSHNER
NYT
CAIRO — A cross-border terrorist attack and an Israeli retaliation that left three Egyptian officers dead are threatening to undermine a decades-old cold peace between the two countries that had already begun to fray since the revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.
After the deadly attack on Israel on Thursday, with militants making their way close to the resort town of Eilat from the Egyptian-controlled Sinai, Israeli security forces fired into Egypt as they chased down the attackers, killing the Egyptians, officials said. The series of events led some Israeli officials to call on Egypt to do a better job policing the North Sinai, and Egypt to demand an investigation and say it will recall its ambassador to Israel.
While Israel tried not to aggravate tensions with its crucial strategic neighbor, Cairo exploded in anger, reflecting a postrevolutionary dynamic where the leadership is more responsive to the sentiments of citizens. The cabinet met in an emergency session and issued a statement condemning the killing of the soldiers and demanding an apology from Israel. Presidential candidates took turns criticizing Israel, and one political leader called for the Israeli ambassador to be expelled. Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Israeli Embassy and burned a mock Israeli flag.
“More and more in a democratic Egypt, that is not going to be acceptable — shooting across the border and leading to casualties,” said Nabil Fahmy, the former Egyptian ambassador to the United States, who accused the Israelis of frequently responding with “excessive force.”
(More here.)
NYT
CAIRO — A cross-border terrorist attack and an Israeli retaliation that left three Egyptian officers dead are threatening to undermine a decades-old cold peace between the two countries that had already begun to fray since the revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.
After the deadly attack on Israel on Thursday, with militants making their way close to the resort town of Eilat from the Egyptian-controlled Sinai, Israeli security forces fired into Egypt as they chased down the attackers, killing the Egyptians, officials said. The series of events led some Israeli officials to call on Egypt to do a better job policing the North Sinai, and Egypt to demand an investigation and say it will recall its ambassador to Israel.
While Israel tried not to aggravate tensions with its crucial strategic neighbor, Cairo exploded in anger, reflecting a postrevolutionary dynamic where the leadership is more responsive to the sentiments of citizens. The cabinet met in an emergency session and issued a statement condemning the killing of the soldiers and demanding an apology from Israel. Presidential candidates took turns criticizing Israel, and one political leader called for the Israeli ambassador to be expelled. Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Israeli Embassy and burned a mock Israeli flag.
“More and more in a democratic Egypt, that is not going to be acceptable — shooting across the border and leading to casualties,” said Nabil Fahmy, the former Egyptian ambassador to the United States, who accused the Israelis of frequently responding with “excessive force.”
(More here.)
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