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Beth Goodtree is a writer specializing in political commentary, Islamism and the Middle East and also writes the occasional science and humor articles. She has a background in advertising and works as a consultant on Islamism and terrorism to a security firm.
Her web site is:
http://hometown.aol.com/bgoodtree/
She may be reached at
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By Beth Goodtree
March 2, 2004
The United States is so busy these days, what with the war in Iraq, the mop-up operations in Afghanistan, the economy and such, it apparently has forgotten its obligations regarding a certain peace treaty. Likewise, Israel is so concerned with its own immediate problems, that it has probably overlooked the many treaty violations willfully committed by Egypt. In fact, if I read my treaties correctly, Egypt is due for some heavy applications of these treaties in action. Here are the facts.
On March 26, 1979, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty. The United States also signed a document that same day called the Memorandum of Agreement between the Governments of the United States of America and the State of Israel. In it, the U.S. spelled out its commitments to Israel in case the treaty is violated, the role of the UN and the future supply of military and economic aid to Israel
In essence, this agreement guarantees that the U.S. will take appropriate measures to ensure the full enforcement of the Egypt-Israeli Peace Treaty. It also guarantees that the U.S. will take appropriate measures (to include military options) if Egypt violates the treaty. And, critical to current events, the U.S. guarantees that it would not supply or authorize transfer of such weapons for use in an armed attack against Israel, and will take steps to prevent unauthorized transfers. Keep this thought in mind...
Meanwhile, the actual Peace Treaty Between Israel and Egypt states that the parties involved will respect each others rights to live within secure and recognized borders, will ..."refrain from organizing, instigating, inciting, assisting or participating in acts or threats of belligerency, hostility, subversion or violence against the other Party, anywhere, and undertakes to ensure that perpetrators of such acts are brought to justice." This peace treaty further states "The Parties shall seek to foster mutual understanding and tolerance and will, accordingly, abstain from hostile propaganda against each other."
In the past few years, both Egypt and the U.S. have reneged on their obligations -- Egypt has had numerous flagrant violations of the peace treaty and the United States has failed to do anything about it -- as guaranteed by the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Agreement. Here are but a mere few of the more recent egregious violations:
1.) A late January 2004 edition of the Egyptian government daily Al-Masaa ran an editorial glorifying and encouraging the homicide/genocide bombing of Jews. In part it stated "We have no argument regarding the question of the legitimacy of these operations, because they are considered a powerful weapon used by the Palestinians against an enemy with no morality or religion.... [e]ven if during [a martyrdom operation] civilians or children are killed...."
2.) An article in the January 23, 1997 issue of the Egyptian government newspaper Al Ahram asserted that "Israel is behind an attempt to intentionally infect Palestinians with AIDS." (Haaretz, January 24, 1997)
3.) In May of 2000 Egypt joined with the other members of the Arab League in a statement demanding a halt to all Jewish immigration to Israel and justifying Arab violence against Israel. (Jewish Post)
4.) Egyptian state television broadcast a 30-part series based on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. This is a rabidly anti-Semitic tract which the show's creator and star said "reveals the Zionist schemes to seize Palestine." Egyptian state-run television timed the series to air during the first half of Ramadan.
5.) In September of 2003, Nabil Hilmi, dean of the law school at Egypt's University of Al-Zaqaziq, announced he was suing "all the Jews of the world" for trillions of dollars for allegedly 'stealing' Egyptian gold and goods during their escape from slavery. Hilmi, who is an employee of the Egyptian government, also claimed to have used Egyptian police to do an 18-month investigation.
While the above examples are but a few of the flagrant violations of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty, a recent news announcement may be a dangerous escalation of violations. In November of 2003, Raytheon was awarded a contract to supply Egypt with 414 Sidewinder missiles. These are highly accurate, short-range air-to-air weapons. Who is Egypt planning on attacking? It's not as if anyone has threatened to attack Egypt. It has warm relations with all of its Arab neighbors.
What is even more disturbing is America's failure to fulfill any of her obligations under the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Agreement. Instead, the U.S. approved the sale of these missiles to Egypt and made feeble and impotent protests about only the most publicized violations by Egypt of the peace treaty.
Since neither the U.S. or Egypt seems to be honoring their obligations, it seems that both the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty and the U.S. Memorandum of Agreement are dead. It also seems that the United States cannot be trusted to fulfill its obligations. Israel should now act accordingly.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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